Paper Spiders
by The . L O S T . Paperclip
Summary: Murders at Wammy's House have begun, and Near is forced to investigate. But the truth of it is so much worse than he had imagined... And the outcome is more than just a little scary. *Possible NearxOC in future* .:Overdue for a rewrite:.
1. Prologue

_This is set one month after the events in the series. Multi-chapter, some later NearxOC. Enjoy! Or don't. But that would make me sad T.T ... Really, it would take like two seconds for a quick review. Epic storyline and plot twists, I assure you._

_Rated T for language, violence, blood and gore, all-round morbidity, homicide, suicide, fratricide, parricide, insecticide... Note: This is only sort of a prologue... The flashbacks are in italics, and the normal font is set somewhere near the end. Time will reverse itself in Chapter 2, so I can, you know, actually write the story. I'm not sure if I gave away too much during this chapter, though. Oh well - just keep reading._

_Disclaimer:__ I do not own Death Note. *Dramatic gasp* Shocking, I know._

**Paper Spiders**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Her breath came out in gasps and the cold air bit into her throat like thorns. Rain and sweat plastered her dark, messy hair to her face, not strong enough to wash away the layers of mud and blood that coated it. _He has to be here,_ she thought to herself. _He has to..._ He was so colourless, so emotionless, so methodical, that there was no change he wouldn't show up... And the way he seemed not to care about any of it... It sent her into a rage like she had never felt before.

-X-

_She was officially an orphan now._

_Finally._

_The girl's father was put on trial for raping her, and was judged innocent due to lack of evidence. This was during the peak of Kira's reign, and it seemed that he believed the man was guilty. Kira dealt 'justice' to the man, and he had died of a mysterious heart attack on his way to freedom. Exactly like she had planned it._

_She had been abused by him for 'not being good enough', so she falsely accused him of rape, in the hopes of Kira stepping in. She knew it was the wrong thing to do, but it only proved that Kira was worse. He was a tool for the mentally superior; his judgement biased on a hideous level. Anyone could get away with anything, and people like... well, herself... would be able to control his actions by playing on his wants. Like the want for a better world._

-X-

Was coming here the right thing to do? She wasn't sure... But, considering what had happened... She clenched her teeth in an attempt not to scream out loud.

-X-

_She knew she did a very bad thing... But she couldn't hate herself for it. He had deserved it._

_The ornate doors were already open; a welcoming light spilling into the darkness from the building's interior. But she still didn't trust it. She didn't trust anything that looked so friendly._

-X-

Her face was illuminated from below, the city lights too far down to discern from that of houses and cars, casting long shadows about her features. Hollow cheekbones and a deathly pale face, littered with tiny scars, only added to the dead look in her wide, dull grey eyes. _How did this happen?_ She asked herself, tired of it all. _Where did I go wrong?_

-X-

_Muffled voices could be heard through the door, but only one was coherent. "... I don't think she would ... I agree, it would be horrendous if- ... No, I assure you she has no idea..."_

_It was then she decided to enter, not wanting to hear any more. The conversation stopped abruptly, and the girl just stared._

_"Welcome, Miss... Tenaiah, am I correct?" A man's voice, low and soothing. He turned around in his swivel chair to face her. "While you attend this place, you will be known as Tenn. Never reveal your true name to anyone, am I understood?" His tone softened some. "I am Roger."_

_The girl glared at him silently, distrust written all over her face._

-X-

She never wanted it to go this far. Too many people had died by her hand... But he had done worse. It wasn't his fault directly, but she knew he could have stopped it if he tried. He didn't try hard enough, dammit! And... and he...

-X-

_"Why am I here?" she asked in a monotone, her voice coarse from disuse. "I have no special talents. No unusual gift."_

_Roger leaned forward slightly, hands folded on the table. "Actually, I believe you do. Or you might, eventually. You see, both your brother and your father were very... talented, and I had a feeling that you would do well here. Any other place may take your gift, whatever it may be, for granted."_

_"Father? I nver knew my real father. He was... murdered." She wasn't sure if that was the right word, but she let it slide. "And I don't have a brother." Tenn's brow creased._

_A hard look crossed his expresion, but cleared in the same second, replaced with false surprise. "They didn't tell you?"_

_"...There was no 'they', Roger. I never knew my mother, either - she left me. I lived with her sick, perverted, abusive partner up until a few days ago." It was dawning on her then, slowly but surely. She had a family she didn't have any idea existed. But one thing tugged at the back of her mind; something she hoped she was wrong about. "... Are they alive?"_

-X-

She saw something across from her; a pale white blur in the darkness. _Finally,_ she thought, determination flashing in her eyes.

-X-

_The man hesitated, acutely aware of the delicate subject he was about to discuss with the girl. "Your brother... attended Wammy's for eleven years prior to your arrival. Now, I know this will be hard news, but..." Tenn glared at him until he continued. "The reason for this is that your mother disappeared."_

_"Can they find her?" Tenn asked her voice bland and sounding not even remotely interested._

_"I'm afraid that she hasn't been sighted since she left your brother here when you were born. It was a strange turn of events that we were not aware of at the time. We presumed her dead six years ago, and gave up the search. Believe me, the police tried their hardest. She was quite an unforgettable woman, in anyone's opinion. I'm sorry."_

_She met his gaze squarely, the pain in her eyes quickly masked by a false smile. Then she was hauled away._

-X-

Sure, too many had died before her. But this... This didn't count. He _had_ to die.

Then so did she.

-X-

_She tried to sit alone during lunch. __Tried__ being the important word._

_An older girl sat next to her without even so much as a 'hello'. She smiled, though. Tenn turned away, but the girl tapped her shoulder and waved._

_"What do you want?" she asked bluntly. The other girl gave a silent laugh as Tenn just stared. Then she began scribbling something down on a piece of paper._

_The handwriting was messy, but readable. 'I'm Malice. Who are you?' it wrote. The name was familiar... Yes, that was it. Malice was the top student at Wammy's._

_"Names are for friends," Tenn said harshly. "Because we aren't friends, I don't believe that names are necassary."_

_The girl looked a little less enthusiastic than before, but she kept writing. 'I would like to be your friend.'_

_"Why?" Tenn was officially annoyed by then._

_'You seem nice,' was all the explanation the eccentric girl wrote. But a different story was in her eyes._

-X-

The rain was making it hard to think; the heavy droplets pounding inside her head.

A tear rolled down her cheek before she could stop it.

"Why did you do it?" she asked in a broken whisper, aware that he couldn't hear. "_YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DESERVES TO DIE_!!" She shouted at the figure with as much force as she could muster. As if on cue, lightning crashed above the pair, briefly illuminating a flash of snowy white hair and an angelic smirk.

_He has to pay,_ she thought to herself viciously.

-X-

_Malice was mute. She had been born with a defect in her voice box, and hasn't been able to speak since she was five. That was eleven years ago._

-X-

Her thoughts were a violent mixture of rage, hate, grief, sorrow... and envy.

-X-

_It had taken months... but Tenn had grown fond of her mute friend. So much so, in fact, that she didn't feel safe whenever Malice wasn't around. So Tenn had literally attached herself to the older girl, acting somewhat like a creepy shadow._

_She had made her first, and only, friend._

-X-

The girl envied the way he was so emotionless... Anything cruel or hurtful that was said to him just rolled off his shoulder like water off a duck's back. She hated the way she was so weak.

But not any more.

After this, there would be no need to feel that type of emotion... Or any emotion at all.

-X-

_Tenn, though she kept her usual impenatrable facade, was glowing._

_After eleven years, she knew now that she had a good chance at leading a worthwhile life, and she could forget all the horrible things she did to get here._

_After this, things could only get better._

-X-

After this, she would end it all.


	2. Notes

_Not all of my Authors Notes will be as long as that first one. *Cookie* for you if you review! This chapter is boring and full of OCs, but don't worry. Near comes in soon... *Evil laugh* It may seem pretty lighthearted at first, but trust me, things will go to hell pretty soon._

_**Chapter 2: Notes**_

A small, wide-eyed, dark-haired girl hung unceremoniously from a low branch of a tree, her bright green hoodie standing out in the dying autumn leaves. Her friend, however, was almost invisible among the masses - both her hair and clothes were varying shades of red and orange. She could be heard, however, if one listened close enough. The small video game in her hands beeped and blooped as she dodged the evil triangles of doom, or so she had once dubbed them.

The one in the tree, Tenn, sighed and dropped from her perch in a practiced move - she hung upside down more than is physically healthy for her, but she reasoned that it helped her think.

"Malice, we should go," she said in a bored tone to the one playing the game. "It's five-thirty and already getting dark." The older girl didn't seem to hear, so, after a few failed attempts at getting Malice's attention, Tenn stormed off. There was no talking to Malice when she got into a game like... whatever the hell she was playing.

She didn't get far before a small, black object seemingly fell from nowhere, slamming into her face.

Tenn flailed for a second, then straightened and retrieved the object... _A book,_ she thought to herself, disbelieving. She scanned the area to see where it could have come from, but there was nothing and no one around. No trees, no buildings, not a living thing to throw it at her. Unless it was the stray beetle that was crawling over foot, but that was unlikely.

She inspected the book closer. "Death Note," she muttered to herself with mild humor, resisting the urge to poke the insect that was on her sneaker - though she did keep track it curiously from the corner of her eye. She opened the so-called Death Note carefully to find a set of rules in the front and back covers, and a few names on the first page. The rest of the book was blank.

Tenn flicked through it again, finding nothing new, and wrote it off as some sort of joke. Some depressed, disturbed teen probably made something like this up to appease their twisted minds. But, despite the fact that it may have belonged to someone else a few seconds ago, Tenn decided she would keep it because it looked cool. She loved to collect strange things from random places.

She continued her trek across the field to the orphanage calmly, not giving any more thought to the book.

Until she heard laughter from behind her. At least, she _thought_ it was laughter... it was more like someone was wheezing and coughing at the same time as trying to do so. _Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk..._

She whirled to see the most horrific sight she had ever seen... so far. It was a monster - there was no other way to describe it. Extremely out-of-proportion, with odd fishy eyes and a clown-like smile, pale blue skin, and black feathers sprouting from its shoulders.

It was laughing. "A kid? A little girl gets my Death Note? Now, that just isn't fair," it said mockingly.

"...W-what are you?" Tenn asked.

"I am a shinigami - a God of Death. Yes, we _do_ exist, and the Death Note you are holding is not a joke," he said, noting her shocked expression. "Call me Ryuk."

Tenn was frozen. This was pretty much the weirdest day of her life, and strangely enough, rather than feeling terrified - which would be the logical reaction for anyone remotely normal - she felt awkward. Like she should be showing respect of some kind. It _was_ a god, after all. The shinigami, Ryuk, continued laughing. And it really got on Tenn's nerves.

"Shut up," she snapped. "You'd be a little shocked too if an otherworldly clown-monster three times your size appeared ot of nowhere and..." She stiffened suddenly. "Wait... did you say the Death Note wasn't a joke?"

"Yup."

"It... really works? Kills people... with a heart attack?" Tenn felt weak at the knees as realisation swept over her.

"Sure, why not."

It was a lot to wrap her head around, but Tenn realised something. And that realisation sent her world down the toilet. In that second, everything she had previously thought about the so-called deliverer of divine justice went spiraling out of control and landed on one solid truth.

_This... This is how Kira killed people. Kira was... just an ordinary human being, with a twisted sense of justice, and this supernatural book. Which means..._

The reason she instantly thought about Kira was because he had killed her father... her _real_ father, whom, despite his crimes, was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary mind, though a little twisted. They say she has his hair. Dark, messy, and sticking out at angles they didn't even know existed. _They_ being Roger and Watari, and L, had she met him. They say her father never knew he had a daughter, but she believed differently. She, at the young age of five, had already resolved to find her father.

But then he was killed by Kira on national television.

Then, for six years after that, Kira continued killing criminals with heart attacks. So, naturally, whenever a heart attack is mentioned, she instantly thought of Kira's involvement.

"Well?" Ryuk asked.

Tenn snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, confused. "What?"

"What are you going to do with my Death Note?" he repeated. "It had better be good, because this time I don't have another one to kill you with when I get bored."

"Oh. Okay. Well... I know what I _won't_ do," she said. "I refuse to continue Kira's work."

Ryuk snorted. "Light's not going to like that."

Tenn was a little shocked. "Light Yagami?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"No. His name was the last one in the Note - which means he should be dead." She waited for an explanation.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag now," Ryuk said, chuckling. "...But why a human would put the cat in a bag in the first place is a mystery to me. Heh, humans are so... _interesting._"

-X-

_[Earlier that day, in the Shinigami Realm]_

In the swirling mass of grey clouds, an image began to form. Ryuk ceased his pacing and stared; he was sure the vortex wasn't there before.

Pale faces dotted the mass periodically, and Ryuk recognised the place. "Mu," he muttered to himself. The he shrugged and was about to continue his pacing when one of the faces caught his eye. It was glowing an eerie red, the expression hard and calculating. The shinigami barked a laugh as he recognised the face, and the glow.

_Light Yagami. He can come back,_ he thought.

_This is going to be so much more fun than the last time._

-----

Pain shot through his body, and he felt like he was going to implode. He was being knocked around the place like a rag doll, helpless against the invisible force that was pushing him to his knees.

It was over almost as quick as it had come, and Light gasped for the air he had been deprived of for so long.

It was then that he noticed something was different. Something felt wrong with his body - his limbs weren't where they were supposed to be, and he felt... different. Then he realised exactly what had happened.

Long, bony fingers had replaced his old ones, and an eerie blood red flesh could be seen between the joints. He examined his new body, mesmerised by the changes. He also felt a pair of tattered wings at his back, ready to propel him into the air at the slightest command.

But what he loved the most was the power he could feel inside him. The power of life and death was in his hands now, and he knew it.

Light chuckled. It was time for Kira to rise again in the human world. But this time there was no stopping him; he couldn't lose. It wasn't possible.

Because this time he truly was a god.

-----

"Hey, Light-o," Ryuk said, sauntering over to the new shinigami. "I resurrected you for a reason, you know."

Light shook his head. "No, I'm not going to be your puppet, Ryuk. I am going to go back... and I will rule the New World as a true God!" He was already beginning to acquire his manic sense of justice again.

"Yes, yes, I know that was your plan. But even shinigami have rules." He pointed to their Death Notes respectively. "Before you can enter the human world, you must drop your Note."

The idea struck Light as extremely stupid. "But that's not at all productive. I wouldn't be its owner until the human dies."

"Yes, but that's the rules."

"And what if I break the rules?"

"You will be executed immediately."

"...Oh. Well, is it against the rules to kill people from here?" Light was getting an idea that would probably work.

_We can't have that,_ Ryuk thought, smirking. Though it was hard to tell with how his face was constructed. "Possibly..."

Before Light had a chance to answer, Ryuk had snatched Light's Death note from his hands and threw it into the vortex that led into the human world. Then, before Light had time to think, the shinigami pushed him in, too. Ryuk was cackling insanely as he threw his own Note into the swirling mass of clouds, and flew in after it.

"YOU IDIOT, RYUK!"

-X-

_[Present Time]_

The man picked up the small grey book and examined it carefully. It was empty - there was nothing remotely special about it. Except for the fact that, as he looked up, a shinigami was staring back at him, arm outsrtetched, as if to take the book from him.

It seemed to think for a moment before withdrawing its arm. "Hello," it said.

The man stumbled back, clutching the Note. "Who are you? What is this?" he asked frantically.

Light chuckled. "Hello, Eli Monett. I am a God of Death. A shinigami. And what you are holding is called a Death Note. Write someone's name in the Note, and they will die of a heart attack exactly fourty seconds after. Is that enough explanation for you?"

The man was sweating visibly, but his eyes lit up. "K-kill with a h-heart attack?" he asked. Light nodded, smirking. "Then... then... Is this what Kira used to judge the unworthy?"

"Yes. I would know; I was Kira. And I have a proposal for you." The man's eyes widened. "I would like you to play the hand of Kira, and deliver justice around the world to those who deserve it. I would like you to help me create the New World." It was a bold move, he knew, but he didn't have much of a choice.

The man recoiled. "... A-and if I refuse?"

Light let his smirk grow into a full-blown maniacal grin. "Then I won't kill you." He sounded deadly serious, masking his bluff perfectly.

Eli hesitated, then gave a sharp nod.

-X-

A television screen flickered in a dark room with but a single occupant. On the screen was a criminal who had done some horrendous things, and was about to be put on death row. That type of criminal was advertised during the Kira crisis because, according to some, a heart attach was an easier way to go. They didn't see it coming.

And, because it was only a month since Kira had stopped killing, everyone suspected him to be around somewhere still, ready to strike at an opportune moment.

The single occupant of the room knew differently. Kira was dead, and it was all thanks to him. It would be a while until another Death Note fell to the earth.

Or so he thought.

The criminal on television suddenly keeled over, and then all hell broke loose. So many people on live television instantly thought it was Kira, come back again from some prolonged holiday.

The white-haired youth stared intently at the screen, calculating the possibility of another Kira. It was extremely low - it usually takes many, many years for another Death note to reach the human world - but it was there. And, though it was only a slight chance, it should not be overlooked. And if said Kira did kill the criminal, they would be a very incompetent one. They had made the same mistake Light Yagami had made - broadcasting their location to the world.

He motioned for someone to turn the television off, and turned in his swivel chair so that he was sitting at the table. He twirled a strand of hair around his finger absently, staring into nothing as calculations and probabilities ran through his head at light speed.

_Kira. If you are out there, I am ready._


	3. Plan

_No reviews at all? I'm hurt, people. Pleeease give me your thoughts on the story so far :) Trust me, it gets better in this chapter._

_**Chapter 3: Plan**_

Tenn stared at the television blankly, the criminal suddenly no longer among the living. The entire scene was chaos.

"Kira..." she murmered, then looked to Ryuk for confirmation, who was lounging on _her_ bed. It irked her to no end - the way he was always around. Her roommate, a blonde girl called Steph whom she had no wish to get to know, gave her a funny look and exited the room with her books to study in a friend's room.

Ryuk chuckled and nodded. "And what are you going to do about it?"

Tenn's head was spinning. She knew what to do. "... I am going to fix this world."

"So now you're one of Kira's fans? That's quite a sudden change."

"I am most definitely _not_ a supporter of Kira," Tenn snapped.

"Then you're just going to let the Note rot? That's no fun."

A dark grin spread over her face. "I never said that," she said in a low voice. "I am going to fix what Kira has done to the world."

Ryuk chuckled. "And what _has_ Kira done?"

"He has deluded us into thinking there is hope for change - hope for redemption."

"And how are you going to 'fix' these people?"

"I am going to... _help _the delusional supporters of Kira out of their newfound addiction to death and so-called 'justice'. I am going to show the world what humanity truly is... a sick and twisted being, destroying the very place they walk."

"That's pretty much what Kira was doing - moulding the world into what he sees it as."

Tenn was talking faster now, the revelations hitting her like bricks. "Kira had it backwards," she explained quickly. "The criminals were the only humans that had the courage to speak up and act against this deteriorating society. They knew that this world was already going to hell. That or they were seriously messed up in the head. Either way, I can sympathise. If anything, the common assholes that walks these streets daily are the ones that deserve to die. Prejudiced pricks that think they're all that... No. No, this isn't the way humanity should be heading. And Kira was the pinnacle of thart injustice! He was under the delusion that the world would be a better place if there were no more of the free thinkers he called criminals, but he had no idea. Then he died, still clueless. He was the criminal. Him and the rest of his supporters. If he had his way, the real criminals would be the happiest people on the planet. And then there would be the problem of one person deciding on how the entire planet should work. He would be biased; a dictator.

Ryuk was amused. _This really is going to be interesting._ "What makes you think Kira died?"

Tenn blinked, recovering from the outburst. "Well, suddenly the mysterious Kira killings stopped for seemingly no reason. And, assuming Kira was one of the assholes I mentioned earlier, he would have thought he was doing the right thing and wouldn't have stopped unless he was killed." She paused. "Although... Now that I think about it, he could have just had his Death Note taken from him and his capture held a secret. Who knows what the Kira supporters would have done if they found out he was caught..."

Ryuk laughed again. "I'm not usually the helpful type, but I just can't wait to see your face when I say I knew Kira."

Tenn froze. "Go on..."

"I killed him. You see that last name in the Note? Light Yagami. That was him."

"Oh."

"And now he's back."

"So that's what the whole cat thing was about? You never did tell me what that was about... But I already knew you killed... Wait, you killed Kira?"

"Yep."

"And he's back? But if he was really back, he wouldn't have needed to test the Note in such an obvious way."

Ryuk chuckled. "No, kid. I mean Light is a shinigami now."

"WHAT?!"

"Priceless!"

Tenn had to tell herself to breathe. _The original Kira is back... working through another. But, despite the fact that he isn't killing these people himself, the thought of him actually being a god before he rises is quite... scary._ "Okay... I'm assuming he gave his Death Note to on of his supporters, which means he is dictating who is and isn't killed. And, considering the criminal on television probably wasn't a worldwide broadcast, he must be somwhere in England..." A thought came to her then. "Unless that's what he wants L to think. In which case, he could have easily found the live show on the internet from some other country, purposefully leading L onto the wrong track... Hmm. This is harder than I thought it would be." There was no doubt that L would take this case up.

Ryuk, now immensely interested in where this was going, asked, "What is harder than you thought?"

Tenn's face darkened. "I am going to find Kira. Then I am going to kill him."

Ryuk, admittedly, was confused. "Are you forgetting that Kira is a shinigami?"

"No," Tenn said, shaking her head violently. "I mean I will kill the new Kira."

"What good will that do? Light will just give his Death Note to someone else, and Kira will be back again."

"Not if the person the Note belongs to is me," Tenn said quietly.

Ryuk began laughing. And laughing, and laughing, and laughing. "So you are going to kill the new Kira and take his Note,allowing you to control the original?"

Tenn's eyes flashed, and she grinned. "Precisely."

-X-

Eli was sitting in front of the television, dumbstruck. _So it's true,_ he thought. _I am Kira now._

He grinned at the thought. Light was standing behind him, fuming. "You idiot," he hissed.

The man turned around quickly, intimidated. "W-what did I do?" he asked pathetically.

"You just revealed out location!" he yelled, and Eli shrank back into the couch, clutching the Death Note. Light's voice was a low, deadly whisper. "You should listen to me from now on," he said.

Eli nodded frantically. "I just wanted to see if it actually worked, and killing a criminal is much better than killing a newsreader or..." he trailed off as he saw Light's expression.

"Like I said, you should listen to me. Take my word as the truth, and the ony truth. Only then will you truly be able to aid me in creating the New World. Do you understand?"

"Y-yessir."

-X-

Once again, Tenn was hanging upside down. But it was from a most perculiar spot - the edge of a second-storey window. Now, some would say this is unsafe, but Tenn knew what she was doing. Not only had she increased her deduction power by hanging from such a height, but she was also able to talk to her friend through the window below. That is, if Malice was there. At the moment the room was empty, and Tenn was just staring into space.

"You made a sad mistake in revealing yourself, Kira," Tenn said to herself. Then she turned to Ryuk once more, who was perched on the windowsill. "How perceptive do you think this new Kira is?" she asked.

Ryuk just shrugged, munching on an apple Tenn had stolen from the kitchen.

She sighed in annoyance. "Well then, do you think the original Kira will help him figure things out?"

Once again, she was ignored.

Tenn came to a conclusion without his help, however. "I guess I could risk sending an obious message."

This caught the shinigami's attantion. "Message?"

"Rather than tracking Kira down myself, I am going to lead him to me."

"But won't sending an obvious message attract the wrong attention? You know, like L?"

Tenn grinned, staring at Ryuk until he realised he would have some part in this plan. And because she knew he was literally addicted to apples, she had some leverage on him. "I am going to write a note, and you are going to help me. And I can assure you that only Kira will be able to decipher it."

"How so?"

"You are going to write it in some shinigami language, and Light will be able to tell Kira what it says."

"And what makes you think Light will do such a thing?"

"I know how his mind works."

"How are you going to send this message? I'm pretty sure putting it in the post won't work very well."

Tenn grinned darkly. "Bodies," she said. "Bodies and a _lot_ of blood..." Her voice lowered a little, and she was filled with a sense of pride. "... Just like Father did it."

-X-

_[A/N] I'll give you one guess at who her father is :)_


	4. Message

_Thanks __**Fluffy Sheep **__for the review! Here's a *Cookie* as promised! Reviews make the chapters come faster :) *HINT HINT*  
_  
**Chapter 4: Message  
**  
Once again, the television was the only light in the dark room. What was on the screen, though, is more horrifying than what happened last time.

The Newsreader was standing outside the very familiar form of a place Near had once called home, the scene surrounded by police tape. Red and blue lights flashed on and off the camera_."... body was found at Wammy's Orphanage in England. The wounds that were inflicted via blade rendered the young boy unidentifiable, but others state that his name was Kane Williams. After some tests, medics discovered that the mutilations occurred after the victim died of cardiac arrest. Four origami spiders were found on the scene of the crime. Beside the body it is apparant that a message was written in what seems to be blood, though the language is yet unknown. Though there is no proof, rumors of a new, dark Kira are spreading..."  
_  
Near had had enough. He switched the television off. "Commander Rester," he said blandly. "I would like you to research further into this case. Inform me if anything interesting comes up."

_I'm sorry, Kane,_ Near thought. Then his eyes narrowed.

-X-

Light glared at the television. _"... rumors of a new, dark Kira are spreading..." _How quick they were to make assumptions. It was a little amusing.

But this time they were right. Light already had Eli on the computer, guiding him through hacking into the police files.

The pictures appeared on the screen, and Eli gave a startled yelp as Light appeared behind him. They were gruesome. The boy's face had been completely removed from his skull, but it was evident that it had been stabbed violently prior to the removal. One of his hands was missing. And he was curled up backwards in a position that almost definitely broke his spine, stuffed under the bed of his dorm room. Blood was everywhere, staining the otherwise clean white sheets and carpet.

Above the bed was the writing and Light recognised it instantly, though he had never come across it before.

The message made him nervous, though he was unsure as to why. It was almost definitely a bluff.

But.

If it wasn't a bluff, then what could this mean?

-X-

"Well that's one way to make a name of myself," Tenn commented dryly.

Ryuk was beyond laughing. He was now simply impressed. "Kid, you do realise that you could have made him do it himself? It wasn't really necessary to kill him and then mutilate his corpse."

"I know," she said simply.

Then she put her pen to paper, and let the words flow.

-X-

_"... Wammy's Orphanage is considering closing down. Four murders in one week, and no end in sight. Each was brutally mutilated, though in different ways, and are definitely connected. The most recent murder had only one origami spider on the scene, and it is almost confirmed that it is either the end or almost the end of a countdown of some sort. More messages have been written in the victim's blood, and are as of yet still indecipherable. Police are currently investigating each crime closely. What may shock the Kira supporters out there is that it is apparent that they all have had a heart attack prior to the mutilations. Of course, there is no conclusive evidence, but that doesn't stop the rumors..."_

Near's brow creased. _This isn't the work of Kira,_ he thought. _Death caused by a heart attack is not even nearly enough proof. No, this... this is different. This person is trying to send a message to Kira. What better way than to mimic his method of killling, and twist it to suit themselves. Is it possible...? _Near didn't want to believe it, but something told him that this was it. _The writing on the wall is in a shinigami language. This person has access to a Death God... which means...  
_  
"Commander Rester," Near summoned Rester once more.

"Yes?"

"I would like to see the pictures of the crime scenes, and the writing if possible."

"Are you sure? I thought we were working on-"

"I believe the Wammy's murders are connected to the Kira case somehow. Now I would like you to acquire all the information you can. We are taking up this case." Near's mind was set. This only furthered the proof of the first criminal murders being an incompetent Kira's work. _I don't know what you're up to,_ he thought to himself, _but I will catch you. I will catch you both._

-X-

"Eli," Light said slowly, staring at the photos on the computer. "... Pack your things."

"Why?" The man sounded surprised.

"We are going to England."

"Any particular reason you feel like moving me to another country?"

"It's the Wammy's murders."

"And what does that have to do with us?"

"Just do as I say." Light glared at the computer screen once more, memorising the message, then ripped the plug out of the wall angrily. He hated being manipulated like this, but he was sure that, on the slight chance that this person was telling the truth, he would not be able to return if he died again.

_'I know your name. I know your face. And I know how to kill a Death God...'_

'I have a shinigami of my own. I know you are one of them, too. I could be your best friend...'

'Or I could be your worst enemy. Meet me here on Halloween night, when the moon is highest in the sky. Just remember that I have the means to do worse than merely kill you. Consider that before declining.'

'I eagerly await your arrival. -T.'

The message was burned into his mind, and he hated whoever had sent it. As soon as he knew who this 'T' was, he would remove them from existence. Permanently.

-X-

Tenn was watching Malice from the window, a look of concern on her face. It may sound a little creepy, but Tenn watched her friend often. To make sure nothing like _this_ happened again.

The older girl had stopped playing her game suddenly, and it was lying discarded on the carpet. Malice had been sitting in the same position and staring at nothing for almost five minutes before she broke down.

A tear slid down her cheek, and Malice had finally began sobbing. Tenn had hoped it wouldn't come to this, that her friend would have recovered by now, but she slid off her perch reluctantly and crept into Malice's room. The girl didn't seem to notice her presence. Not even when Tenn sat next to her. Malice was in her own little world, and it didn't seem to be a very friendly one.

"It's your brother again, isn't it?" she asked, emotionless. Malice nodded. "What about him? He's gone - there was nothing you could possibly have done." Malice pointed to the game, still not meeting Tenn's eyes. Tenn picked it up and saw the High Score screen. The top name was one she recognised - _Matt._ It wasn't that high of a score, to be honest. "Malice, I know you can beat this. Why don't you?"

The older girl finally picked up her notepad and began writing slowly, carefully outlining wach letter. _'I don't want to lose what's left of him.'_

Tenn sighed angrily. "Stop being selfish. You're not the only one in this orphanage that has lost family," she snapped.

Malice was writing painfully slow, each move of the pen carefully calculated. She looked calm enough, but there was something in her eyes that said differently. Tenn took the note. _'But not everyone had to watch their only remaining family member shot to death on national television.'_

It was true, but Tenn was still angry. Malice had to learn to get over hardships like death - Tenn was five years younger and had already disregerded the death of her family. She was fine by herself, and needed no one else to make her life miserable. She could do that on her own. She only wished that Malice could see that she didn't need anyone else, either. Tenn was about to convince her friend of this fact, but Malice had gone back to her unresponsive state.

Tenn decided to leave her. These outbursts were getting less frequent, but more serious as time progressed. She was beginning to wonder if Malice would ever get over her brother's death. It was normal to mourn, but this could actually become a serious medical problem if she continued the way she did. Malice was becoming catatonic. She needed help.

Tenn climbed back out the window. For the moment, the best way to help was to leave her alone.

-X-

_[A/N] I miss Matt, as you can tell. I just had to give him a part, even if it's a small one :)_


	5. Halloween

_Fast update, no? I told you reviews make the chapters come faster!_

_Kinda graphic violence in this chapter. I'm not sorry, because you'll be seeing a lot more of it :) Thanks to __**Fluffy Sheep **__and __**Lita Takanashi**__ for the reviews!_

**Chapter 5: Halloween**

Tenn woke early that morning, like a six-year-old at Christmas. She was out of bed and getting ready for the day before it was light outside. It was cold - frost lightly coated everything outside - so Tenn put on a black-and-green striped scarf over her hoodie. Then she noticed that Ryuk was hanging from the ceiling, body twisted in ways she didn't even know were possible.

"... Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"... Apples!" The strangled cry seemed to be all he could get out, but Tenn understood.

"Get your own apples. I'm busy." Then a thought came to her. "Why _don't _you get your own? I mean, it wouldn't be too hard. No one else can see you. Hmm... You could make stealing apples a hobby. You need one to pass the time. What do you do when I'm not around, anyway?"

Oh. He couldn't answer. Either that, or he was being overly dramatic. Tenn sighed and reached under her bed, taking an apple from her stash and throwing it behind her. It didn't reach the floor - Ryuk had already dove for it and caught it in his mouth. Tenn giggled.

"How long have they been there!?" he asked after he had recovered from his brief fitr of withdrawal. "Ugh. You should tell me these things, kid. A hobby, eh? Well, I kinda just watch you sleep. And I'm following you wherever you go, so you're never not around. Another rule. There's nothing much else to do, really. You talk in your sleep, did you know that?" The shinigami sounded unaware of how stalker-ish and pedophile-y that sounded.

"You... watch me...?" The girl suppressed a shudder. "Yes, I am aware that sometimes I talk in my sleep."

Ryuk laughed. "Not sometimes, kid. You've talked just about every night since you got the Note."

"Oh. What do I say?"

"I dunno. Random stuff, mostly. Last night you were calling after a turkey. But there are times you actually make so much sense it's a little scary..." He didn't say any more. Probably because whatever it was would be more fun for Tenn to find out about herself.

And find out she would.

-X-

Night fell quickly, and Tenn was waiting.

Roger had placed a few pumpkins and dim Halloween lights around the front yard of Wammy's in a poor effort to scare passers by. The pumpkins didn't even have faces carved in them, so Tenn was unsure as to what he was really aiming for. But she welcomed the changes - Halloween was always fun. She hid her face with a cheap plastic skull mask.

She wasn't sure who she was looking for, and had declined when Ryuk told her about the trade for receiving shinigami eyes. So she was just waiting. Standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of Wammy's, Tenn was sure that whoever she was looking for would come to her.

-X-

Eli had made the deal with Light. He now had the ability to see a person's true name and lifespan. But Halloween, when the majority of people were wearing masks, wasn't a very good time to appreciate that gift.

He didn't bother hiding, instead wearing a mask of his own. The streets were empty this late at night, so the person he saw had to be the one he was looking for. But the figure seemed so... small. Too small to murder four people.

"That can't be the one," he muttered to Light, who was following closely behind.

Light shook his head. "Never underestimate your enemy," he said. "For all we know, she could be the most malicious person on Earth and has killed more than the four orphans on television before she found us. Trust me. Killers are never what they seem. I cannot stress how careful you have to be. Now go."

"Are you sure that's the one we're looking for? I mean, I can't see her face and neither can you. She could jut live in the orphanage."

Light paused, and nothing happened. No one moved. "She's waiting for someone."

Eli sighed and approached the girl.

-X-

Tenn heard footsteps. She didn't turn, though. She knew who they were. The footsteps weren't heavy, like someone just wanting to go home after a party. They weren't quick as an excited child's. The were calculated. Determined.

Kira had come at last.

She began walking, leading her follower around the side of the orphanage. She stopped when they had reached an alcove and turned suddenly; testing the man. He failed miserably. Eli gasped slightly and took a small step back. But it was enough to know that he wasn't experienced in the field they were playing in - he wasn't ready for surprises. It was enough to know that she could pull this off.

Tenn smiled sweetly under her mask. "I assume you got my message?"

"Why did you lead us here?" Eli was confident that, if things went well for him, he would ba able to get her Death Note and remove her mask in order to kill her. But within seconds of meeting the girl, he had made his first slip-up.

"Us?" Tenn asked innocently. "You mean to say that Light is there with you? How rude of me - I never introduced myself. The original Kira deserves as much, don't you think?"

Light stared at the girl, then glanced at Ryuk, who was now floating casually down from the roof to stand behind her. "Ryuk, you bastard, why did you tell her so much about me?!" he demanded.

Ryuk chuckled. "The kid figured it out on her own. A lot like you, in some ways."

Tenn glanced at her shinigami. "A lot like who, Ryuk?" she asked pleasantly.

"Light," he said simply.

"I am not, and I will never be like Light," she snapped, indignant, "I want to show the world the truth - no matter how ugly."

Eli's gaze shot from Tenn to Light and back, wondering what the girl's shinigami actually said. But then he had an idea. He cleared his throat to get their attention. "One-sided conversations with three people are a little hard to understand," he said. "I think things would be much easier if we could see each others shinigami, as they are obviously talking to one another." _And to reveal your Death Note._

Tenn seemed to brighten at the idea. "You're right," she said happily, though hesitantly, taking a small book from the folds of her jacket. _Death Note._

Eli held a hand out to take the book, but Tenn kept it close. "How can I be sure you even have your Death Note with you?" she asked quickly, her voice a little worried - as if she had slipped up. Like she wasn't supposed to show she had her Note with her so soon.

The man chuckled and took his own from his backpack. It was gray, as opposed to Tenn's black one, and the cover was blank. "Here." He held it out to her. "In the message you said we could become allies. I would like that very much," he lied.

Tenn seemed a little relieved and loosened her grip on her Note. She stepped forward to give it to him, but let out a sharp cry of pain as she brought her foot down. She overbalanced and fell, dropping her Note beside her.

It all took a split second. Eli lunged for the book, hoping to finally surprise the girl and finish this.

Light saw something on the Note, and tried to stop him. "That isn't the rea-!" But it was too late.

_Perfect,_ Tenn thought viciously, and whipped a kitchen knife from her jacket. She grabbed Eli's legs as he reached for the book, and he fell forwards, clutching her fake Note. But not for long. Tenn scrambled up and was kneeling on his back, knife to his throat. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and both shinigami were shocked at how quickly the tides had turned. Eli tried to shake her off, but she made a small incision in his neck, to make sure he knew she meant business.

"Are you forgetting that I killed four people and got away with it?" she whispered venomously in his ear. Then she reached out and snatched his Note, holding the knife with one hand.

Now, with everything going perfectly and Tenn having no way to lose now, she would have loved to do a victory speech. Sweet and menacing at the same time, occasionally punctured with severing a limb or cutting his tongue, or gouging his eyes... But she watched too many movies that showed whenever the villain began their monologue, they were vulnerable to attack. And for all she knew, this man had an accomplice hiding somewhere. Then she cursed herself for not thinking of that sooner and acquiring one of her own.

_Oh well,_ she thought happily, a grin spreading across her face. _I'll make this one short._ "No..." she whispered. "... Make that five."

Then she brought the knife towards her sharply and violently, blood spraying her hands and the wall in front of her as Kira squirmed. She brought the blade downwards, then ripped it back out. Most of his throat came with it. Blood was everywhere, and his screaming ceased. Tenn gazed at the large chunk of flesh she had just removed. Soon his struggling ceased as well, and Tenn removed herself from her perch on Eli's back.

She turned to Light and bowed deeply. "O Mighty Kira, I am honoured to make your acquaintance," she said with a deep and humble voice. "You may call me Tenn."

"You have to admit it, Light. She got you." He was now shaking with laughter.

Light was about to reply when the sound of footsteps echoed through the wall, and frantic voices accompanied the sound. Tenn seemed to snap back into reality, glancing around them. "Someone probably heard that," she said, referring to Eli's horrible, bloodcurdling screams of pain. "We'd better get out of here."

Ryuk shrugged. "It's your call." Then he took flight, disappearing in a mass of feathers.

Tenn glanced at the unknown man's body, then at her bloody hands, letting her mind linger on what she had just done. She realised that she was trembling - something stirred inside her, and she wasn't sure it was a bad feeling. Now she was shaking, waves of shudders racking her body. And she could hold it in no longer.

Tenn laughed.

She fled the scene, not caring about how she will never be able to hide the evidence of what she had done. She had killed people with the Death Note, of course. Then she had written the messages. After they were dead. But this... This man was bursting with energy and vitality and _life_, and she had taken it from him by herself. Now using the Death Note to kill seemed like cheating - but who would want to cheat, anyway? The fire in her veins, the purely ecstatic feeling of the kill... It was like a drug to her. An eleven-year-old girl.

And she needed more.

The girl failed to notice that she had left her fake Death Note by the corpse.

-X-

"Sir, we have the most recent pictures. Roger has confirmed that he has no new information on the murders."

Near thanked Rester and inspected the prints closely, wondering what possible reason one would have to do such a thing. _This was definitely the work of the Wammy's murderer,_ he thought. _But... why?_

Then his gaze fell upon a small, dark object that would be otherwise invisible in the night, were it not illuminated by the red and blue police lights. "Gevanni, zoom in on section 14HA-5. Set the brightness to full." The joint screens that covered the walls came to life, and said section of the photograph was enlarged and illuminated.

Near gazed at the photos, emotionless. _This is the proof I need._

He was now certain that the Wammy's murderer had managed to contact Kira. And after the meeting they were in possession of two Death Notes - meaning that the dead man was almost definitely the newest Kira. He picked through the assortment of dice and colour coded them neatly. _A few scenarios are plausible, but the most likely two is that the Death Note in the picture is a fake, and the Wammy's murderer still has two of them; or the Death Note in the picture is real and was left on the scene - on purpose or by accident, I am unsure._ The six faces North... Yellow dice don't cooperate with the green..._ But, judging from the way the murderer managed to kill the orphans and not get caught, they wouldn't be so careless as to leave their best weapon behind._ The tower slowly made its way towards the roof, block by block. Inch by inch. The seconds ticked by methodically, impeccably timed._ Either way, the murderer has at least one Death Note. But what will they use it for?_ ... If only criminals were as predictable.

Save from waiting for the Wammy's murderer to begin killing once more, there was only one way to find out.

"Commander Rester," Near summoned once more. "We are going to England."

He picked up a black dice and stared at it, willing it to reveal the answers he sought. But the lump of plastic stayed silent.


	6. Scared

_I'm sorry that these chapters only seem to get longer! Or they do to me, anyway. I can't seem to wrap things up properly._

**Chapter 6: Scared**

Tenn climbed up the drainpipe and into her window, careful not to leave any bloodstains. She had cleaned the worst of the mess off in the grass, but there was still plenty to leave incriminating evidence. Tenn had to be extremely careful - wiping away any stains with her scarf.

She was aiming to bolt for the showers before anyone else saw her, but she froze when she realised she wasn't alone in the room. "Steph, aren' tyou supposed to be-" She spoke quickly, anxiety taking over. But then she noticed that it was not Steph, her roommate, that was watching her.

Malice was awake and sitting on the edge of her bed. The room was dark, and she was staring at Tenn, a terrified look in her eyes. The digital clock on the bedside table read 1:13 a.m - Too late for as deep a sleeper as Malice to be up. Something was _very_ wrong.

Tenn thought she had been found out, but Malice seemed not to notice the hideous stains on her gloves. They were all but invisible in the darkness. Malice stood up slowly and walked to her, notepad in hand. A message was already written. _'Tenn, I'm scared.'_

Tenn squinted to read the note, and then gave her a questioning look.

Malice wrote more. _'These murders are getting more frequent, and I swear I heard someone scream not long ago. You weren't in your room, and I was worried about you.'_ Judging by the look in her eyes, Malice had been a little more than worried. _'... I'm also scared for myself. Both of us - we could be next. You have to be careful.'_ Malice's eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying.

Tenn put her hands up in a calming gesture before she could stop herself. It pained her to see her only friend terrified by something she had done. "Malice-"

The older girl's eyes widened in shock and horror, and the notepad slipped from her limp fingers. The loose pages scattered across the floor, a million unspoken words discarded and forgotten in an instant. A small gasp escaped her lips - her gaze was locked on Tenn's raised hand.

_'What happened?'_ The question was in her eyes. She was searching her friend for any sign of trauma, any sign of something that would help prove her innocence. Malice found nothing but th lingering joy in Tenn's eyes, and the blood on her hands.

Tenn couldn't fail to notice the changes in her friend, and knew that Malice suspected her guilt. "M-Malice, don't make me explain." Tenn's voice was pleading.

Her friend slowly took a bloody hand and inspected it, then looked at her own. Now they, too, were covered in the stuff. Meaning it was _very_ fresh. Malice's gaze was piercing. _'No need to explain. I know what you've done.'_

"Don't make assumptions! I..."

Malice waited, still holding Tenn's hand tightly. She wasn't planning on letting go until she got the truth.

The younger girl was on the verge of tears, for a reason she couldn't comprehend. She pulled the knife from her jacket slowly, and alarm flashed in Malice's eyes. But Tenn kept a firm hold on her hand. By now her voice was a low whisper. "I killed Kira."

Malice mouthed a few incomprehensible words, her expression unreadable, and Tenn dropped her hand. The girl looked to the floor, tracing patterns in the carpet with her eyes before continuing. "... I sent the messages... on the bodies. I cut them up and wrote on the wall in their blood. All to lure Kira here. It worked. And just now..." She could say no more - her throat was too choked up with tears she refused to shed.

Malice stayed still for an uncomfortable amount of time, staring into space. Then, as if in a trance, ske knelt and picked up a piece of loose paper and the pen. She began writing.

_'Bury the knife.'_

Then she shuddered and turned away, refusing to meet Tenn's eyes.

-X-

It was difficult, but Malice had managed to avoid all but the most necessary contact with Tenn. She tried to erase the memory of the little girl's broken expression when she turned her away for the third time that day.

Because of course, despite the fact that when the situation called for it she was a cold-blooded killer, Tenn was just a child. Her wide, dark eyes held worlds of curiosity and intelligence, and... _innocence_. It was hard to comprehend, but something inside Tenn was still innocent. More so than Malice herself. At times, the girl looked so vulnerable she prectically screamed for protection. She was dependent on others - she didn't want to be alone. She _couldn't_ be alone. She was an immature and scared little girl...

Then there was the other side of Tenn - the less innocent side. The anger and fear and even the curiosity let out in the most horrible, violent ways possible. She wanted to know everything. If she suddenly felt that she should know at least the first fifty digits of pi, then she would apply herself to the task and complete it in record time. Eating and sleeping were not necessary until the task was complete. If Tenn wanted to speak to the greatest detective that ever lived, she would hack into the system and converse at length with him about how motives affect the crimes people commit, and which flavour of cake is the best for certain occasions. Of course, Malice had helped with te hacking, but the principle still applied.

And if Tenn wanted to see what a person looked like inside out, then she would skip the research and go straight for the practical lesson.

But Malice couldn't bring herself to condemn her friend for that. It was just how Tenn's mind worked, and to change that would be to change Tenn herself.

So there was Malice's dilemma. Her best friend was a murderer. She couldn't just forgive Tenn and their friendship be the same again - but it was also impossible to turn her in. Out of the question...

Malice shook her head. _I'll think about it later,_ she told herself. _I can't be distracted now._ She bent her head over the test once more, trying to ignore Tenn's acid glare from across the room.

After a few minutes, Malice could bear it no longer. The tip of her pencil broke, and she had to stop herself from snapping it in half. Instead, she raised her hand meekly and asked in a level tone if she could go to the bathroom.

As she stood, she felt eyes follow her. Tenn's, surely, but that wasn't all. But, instead of giving it any thought, she just about ran out of the test room.

Before she found the door, Malice swore she heard a chuckle from somewhere behind her.

-X-

Near had finished the test already, and was waiting for the time to pass. He pulled a knee up to his chest and twirled a stray strand of hair absently.

A chair creaked across the wooden floor, and the current top student at Wammy's, Malice, rushed towards the door. Near's eyes followed her - he couldn't help but feel he knew her from somewhere. There was something strikingly familiar about the startlingly red hair and striped shirt...

Then he chuckled. _Matt, I never suspected your little sister was still alive, let alone attending Wammy's,_ he thought. Of course, he had read through her files - being the top student gave her a few uses concerning the Wammy's Murder case, and after a bit of research he may even enlist her help - but since the Kira incident, student's real names had been deleted from their records. It had not once mentioned the girl being related to Mail Jeevas. But then again, many things had changed since Near had left.

He and Matt had never really been friends, but he didn't despise Matt's presence and vice versa. And, had Matt not joined the Mafia with Mello, he would have been an asset to the SPK.

Near could only hope that Malice has the skills her brother had - then this case would be solved that much faster. And then maybe, finally, Near could find some peace in his existance. He had been surrounded by death for far too long, and it was getting to his head. But he knew the cases would keep coming. He _could_ refuse, but then his life would hold no meaning. What is he, after all, but the true successor to L? That is all he is, and all he will ever be. Take that away from him, and then what would Near be?

Soon he may even forget his real name.


	7. Hairs

_To __**playboy-bunny**__: Lol, that IS a coincidence :) Whats your name on quizilla? I might check out that Near story. Thanks for the review! And thanks to __**Fluffy Sheep**__, __**CRiMSOnALLoY**__ and __**Lita Takanashi **__also - all these reviews help me write :)_

_I guess this story is kinda angsty on Malice's part - I'm pretty sure that will change in future chapters (Someone else will have the chance to have their lives destroyed), but I'm not making any promises. She isn't really the type, to tell you the truth. It's just the whole 'my best friend is a murderer and I can't do anything about it' thing that has got her down, to put it mildly._

**Chapter 7: Hairs**

Tenn could have stopped. She could have burned the two Notes and be done with it - crisis averted. No more Kira, no more Wammy's murderer. She would have gotten away with it _all._

But there she was, giggling as she cut up her victim's tongue so they couldn't speak. Leaning over the girl's terrified, bloody face and laughing as the adrenaline pumped through her own veins. She now wanted to see if she could cut out someone's voice box and still let them live. So, with careful precision, the girl sliced up her roommate's throat with the knife she had promised Malice to bury. Tenn told herself that she would do so after this... But she knew she wouldn't. The kitchens were closed off once more, and if she got rid of this knife she wouldn't be able to get another one.

Tenn had not counted on the neck wound bleeding so much. She made a small disappointed noise as Steph stopped moving.

The girl made a few half-hearted cuts on Steph's hands and, realising it wasn't as fun when they were already dead, dragged the bloody carcass to the toy box in the corner of their room. Tenn then proceeded to fill it with Steph's limp form, snapping bones where necessary to allow her to fit. She then dipped her gloved fingers in the girl's blood and painted a large smiley face on the wall behind that echoed her own gleeful expression, closed the lid and drew a small origami spider from her pocket. It was placed on the lid of the toy box, along with the too-big gloves she had been wearing, and Tenn fled her no-longer-shared room through the window - once again careful enough to wipe any blood from the drain with her scarf.

_Figure that one out,_ she thought with mild humor. Tenn giggled, retreating to the small creek that ran across the grounds to wash up before the show.

-X-

This time Near was present at the crime scene.

This murder, of an eleven-year-old blonde girl called Shianne Keroway, had occurred in his old room - namely, the body was found in his toy box. This murderer was a sick being. Police tape had secured that area of the orphanage, and forensic scientists swarmed around him. One of the officers, a woman in her late thirties, was comforting the small girl that had come across the body.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's alright. You're fine, and that's what matters. Come on." She was trying, but tears still slid down the girl's cheeks as the woman led her away.

Tenn always had been an exceptional actor.

Before she left, the girl noticed the same strange albino that had beaten Malice in the most recent test. She wondered why he was there. The only logical explanation her mind came up with was that he was the one that would be investigating her work. Tenn didn't allow the grin to seep into her expression, but she couldn't help but feel a thrill run through her body. She knew then that killing wasn't the only fun she would have at Wammy's.

The game of cat and mouse had begun.

The white-haired youth inspected the scene carefully - the body had been moved - but found nothing exceptionally interesting. Which was strange, because usually there was more substansial evidence on a crime scene. He watched as cameras flashed about the scene, taking in all the evidence they could find.

"What do you know of the crimes so far?" Near asked one of the senior officers.

A large man cleared his throat. "Well, at each crime bar one, a small paper spider has been found close to the body, along with writing on the wall - in this case, a picture. It is certain that the murderer was trying to send a message, but to who and for what purpose we aren't sure. It seems now that he has run out of things to say. As for the mutilations themselves, it was clearly done with a knife and every victim had been made unable to speak due to various wounds to the tongue, mouth and throat. Other than that, there has been everything from removed limbs to tiny cuts all over the body. Each body has been crudely placed in a small or enclosed space, but the majority of the blood is out in the open, signifying that each murder was carried out in the very room the bodies were found. In this case, the murder has left a pair of gloves he was almost definitely wearing at the time of the killing - most likely to remove any chance of us searching for prints. We did, however, find a few hair samples on the scene." The man paused, blotting his forehead with a handkerchief. "We speculate the spiders are some form of signature, and the murderer now... er, taunting us, if you will. He leaves conspicuous clues, but obviously knows what he is doing. There was no sign that the murderer left the room apart from a small bloodstain on the window frame. The murderer obviously knows where to put his feet, as no footprints were found. And... official results are yet to be released, but this one didn't suffer a heart attack before the mutilations. Judging from the amount of blood on the carpet, this person was tortured and died of blood loss."

Near contemplated the possibilities of what the officer had said. "Did you acquire the services of a behaviorist to decipher the murderer's motives?"

"We did, and Doctor Fares stated that the murderer definitely had some connection with Wammy's, possibly a past student that failed the entrance exam multiple times. It is also possible for the murderer to be a staff member - someone that has access to the students and resources. As for the actual reasons behind the killings, we are unsure. Be extremely careful concerning who you talk to." He spoke as he would to someone less experienced in this field than he.

Near knew all of this already, and disliked the way the officer was speaking to him. Though he had been told exactly who the boy was, the officer seemed to find it hard to speak to Near like an equal. "Did you consider the prospect of the murderer being a student here?"

"Yes, but it's unlikely - they're only kids. I think a staff member is more-"

"Nothing should be overlooked based merely on age. The same goes for gender, race, appearance and anything else in that general category. Anyone could be a killer."

"That may be true, but in this case it is only the smallest chance."

Near closed his eyes, trying not to interrupt the man. He would have to speak to someone from the SPK about this, rather than argue with him. "Tell me about Eli Mackenzie."

The officer thought for a second, searching his memories for the correct information. "Eli Mackenzie was the murder that stood out the most. He was found outside for starters, and was the first one that did not die of a heart attack prior to mutilations. In fact, the only wound he recieved was a large one to the neck. Our behaviorist speculated that the killer was in a rush as this time the victim's screams were heard. Mr. Mackenzie was the only one that had not been a student at Wammy's - we found out that, merely two days before his murder, he was living in the US. Also, there was no writing or origami spider. Instead, there was a curious book titled-"

"Death Note," Near finished. "Show it to me. And the hair samples, if possible. Anything that may help with the investigation."

The man nodded and took his leave, greeting his fellow officers. Near waited patiently for him to return, settling himself on the floor just beyond the bloodstains on the carpet. He let his eyes wander about the room, noting how different the two sides were. The wall to his left was covered in various band and other idol posters, and on the dresser was a neatly arranged set of photographs that included a young Steph and what was most likely her family. The covers on the bed were covered in green, blue and pink stripes.

The other side, to Near's right, had little in the way of personal items. The wall was bare, as were the covers on the bed, and all that sat on the bedside table was a digital alarm clock. On top of that was a small plastic insect... upon closer inspection, Near saw that it was a spider.

Suspicious, but most likely pure coincidence. Many people liked arachnids.

The officer returned with the Death Note and a few small airtight bags that contained various hairs and a blood-soaked origami spider. It was a wonder the thing hadn't disintegrated under the influence of the fluid.

Near took the Death Note gingerly, turning it around in his hands to inspect it thoroughly. Though the cover looked real enough, the pages inside were not. They had most likely been taken from a spiral-bound notepad and put in the fake Note's covers to fill it. Obviously, this was only to be used as a distraction and not meant to be opened.

"I have reason to believe that Mr. Eli Mackenzie was the most recent Kira," Near stated matter-of-factly, "and was lured here by means of the messages next to each body. He was killed in order for the Wammy's Murderer to gain possession of his Death Note." Murmurs could be heard throughout the room from those that had heard him. "Because it is almost certain that the Wammy's Murderer had a Death Note beforehand, it is safe to say that he now has control over two Death Notes."

One man spoke the question many were thinking. "What's a Death Note?"

Near retained his emotionless composure. "A Death Note is a supernatural book that allows the user to kill someone with a heart attack without ever having made contact with that person. All that is required of them is to write down the person's name and know their face, and that person will die of cardiac arrest exactly forty seconds later, unless another time and means of death is specified."

The room fell silent.

Near scanned the Notebook in his hands one more time, then put it down in favour of the hairs. Some were blonde, belonging to the murdered girl, and others were fairly short and dark. They belonged to her roommate. It was quite impossible for Steph to have murdered herself, and of course Tenn lived in the room as well.

His gaze lingered on a long, bright red strand that had been found in the place of the murder.

-X-

Malice was furious.

No, she was more than furious. Words could not describe the level of anger she felt. She was sure, had it not defied the laws of physics, that she would explode if she held it all in.

It was torture to know that her best friend had murdered five people. Worse to know that she wasn't even sorry - that she had enjoyed every minute of it. but Malice was ready to leave things be if Tenn stopped. If she had only stayed her hand... If that stupid little girl could have just...

But here she was, holding Tenn's shuddering body to her own in a comforting gesture as the officer watched over them. Malice was forced to act like something terrible had happened to her friend, forced to comfort her in the full knowledge that there was fresh blood on her hands. That the shudders were not of shock and trauma but of delight and a sick thrill. Though the tears fell, Malice was one of the few that could see they were empty. False. Tenn would never cry over the life of another human being.

But Malice and Tenn were as good as sisters. The former would never turn in the latter for any reason at all...

But she was beginning to doubt that conviction. Malice was wondering how long she could hold up against the darker side of Tenn, before it broke her completely.

Finally, _finally,_ the officer left the two to their own devices, allowing Malice to comfort her traumatized friend in peace.

Tenn stopped shaking and Malice hald her at arm's length, forcing their eyes to meet.

The younger girl was pleading. "M-Malice, please..." _Please what? Please forgive me?_ Tenn thought harshly to herself. _Of course she won't. I lied to her. I put her in danger at this very moment. What possible reason would she have to forgive me? I've done horrible things..._ The girl tried to keep her thoughts pure and selfless, trying to consider it from Malice's perspective, but it was impossible to deny her suconscious. _I've done nothing wrong. There's nothing for me to be sorry for._

Malice saw this in her friend's eyes, and shook her violently. _'You've done everything wrong, Tenn. Killing people is wrong.'_

Tenn's face hardened. She was about to say something she would regret. "If you are against my methods, against what I do, then leave. If that is the case, I don't want you here to interfere." Tenn was sure she would regret that later, but for now it was the only thing she could do.

Malice shook her head, taking out her notepad. _'You don't understand,'_ she wrote. _'I may be called on to investigate. What am I supposed to do if they ask me to find out who did it?'_

"But they can't-"

Malice cut her off with a finger. _'They've done it before - taken the top student, or students, to help with certain cases.'_

Tenn was silent for a long time. "... Are you going to turn me in if they do?"

_'Are you going to stop killing people?'_

Tenn had no answer for that, and Malice didn't write any more.


	8. Alone

_Once again, I thank __**Fluffy Sheep**__, __**kirabbit**__, __**CRiMSOnALLoY**__ and __**Lita Takanashi **__ for the reviews :)_

_Short chapter here. Deal with it, because I'll be away for a week or so. This is all I had time to write, so sorry in advance for the cliffie, I guess._

**Chapter 8: Alone**

The blood rushed to her head as Tenn hung from the window again. This time it was on the first floor - she was now sharing a room with some girl she didn't want to meet. She knew that in doing so, the girl would probably only want to kill her. Zag. Such a strange name for someone so mundane - she was almost definitely hoping to gain more popular friends with such an alias while still trying to sound unique. Zag was tall for her twelve years, sandy brown hair cut short around a heart-shaped face.

She acted predictably. Shying away from Tenn at the sight of her disheveled appearance, trying half-heartedly to be accommodating while gossiping about her behind her back. They're all the same. Judging people by the way they appear before knowing their deeper selves. Not even trying to hide their distaste from those they think have earned it.

It hurt Tenn to look at her. To look at them all. Everyone who was horrible in the world - the people you think are decent until you hear them speak. Because the words coming out of their mouths are almost definitely holding some prejudiced undercurrent, whether you notice or not. It's always there.

It was always so... _fulfilling_ to cut out their tongues.

"What are you _doing_?" Ryuk's voice cut through her sadistic musings.

"Hmm? Oh. Just thinking," Tenn replied airily, ignoring the strange look Zag gave her.

"No, kid. 'What are you doing?' as in 'Why the hell have you stopped using the Death Notes?'. You have _two _of them. Go nuts. I insist."

"Oh." It hit Tenn then that she had really been getting off-track with killing Steph. The girl had only commented on the way Tenn seems to talk to herself - but for some reason, that really ticked her off. Probably the way it was spoken. Tone is everything. _"Why do you talk to yourself so much?"_ could sound like one is genuinely curious. But Steph might as well have said, _"You're crazy, and I don't want you anywhere near me."_

So Tenn had to focus. She had a job to do. But... _How?_ How will she show the world that humanity should just stop trying, and embrace the horrible fate they have crafted for themselves? It won't be a _better_ world, per say, but it will be a _truthful _one. And how do you make people tell the truth? How could she make everyone stop lying to themselves?

Light cur in, his head popping through the ceiling. Tenn wasn't going to bother asking why he was up there. "If you even _try_ to ruin Kira's name, I'll kill you!"

Tenn chuckled. "And how are you going to do that?"

Then she froze. And lunged for both Death Notes before Light could reach them first.

The struggle was swift, but Tenn managed to grab both of the books and dart away from the enraged shinigami. She noticed vaguely that Zag was backing out of the room nervously. Tenn panted slightly and clutched the books tighter.

_I'll have to keep a safe eye on these from now on,_ she thought. _I'm not letting them out of my sight._

"I'll kill you." Light's voice was dripping with venom and completely serious.

-X-

"Malice. Am I correct in presuming you are the sole sister of a man named Mail Jeevas, more commonly known as Matt?"

Nod.

"I am Near, and I have a proposal for you. I would like you to assist me in solving the Wammy's Murder Case. Namely, you are to help identify the murderer. Any information you might have concerning this case would be greatly appreciated."

Another stiff nod. Though it _did_ come as a surprise, however obvious it may have been, that the boy who had outdone her on the test was currently sttemption to solve the murders.

"Because there is a small chance you yourself are the murderer, you will not have access to the deeper intelligence in this case. But, if your innocence is proven, you will most definitely be an asset to the team and we may call on you again to help in future cases. Do you accept these terms?"

Malice was usually good at reading faces. She could usually tell what other people were thinking. And, however dead he may look on the outside, the girl saw in Near's eyes that he thought there was more that a 'small' chance she was the murderer. So Tenn had put her in danger once again. And the mention of Matt reopened old wounds - wounds that had been slowly but surely stitching themselves up while she was preoccupied with Tenn.

All three of those reasons were enough to deter her from accepting. If Near had even the slightest scrap of a heart, he wouldn't have mentioned her brother. Roger was sure to have told him of her ... _problem _concerning that subject. She had to grit her teeth and stop the tears from spilling over. Instead, she took out her notepad.

_'I have nothing to prove. On what grounds do you suspect me so much?'_

Near let a small smirk lift the corners of his mouth. _She saw through it._ "We have a DNA sample of yours that was found at the scene of the crime. And your motives for murdering those orphans would have fit as well. You are insecure about your disability and wish to punish those that have done you wrong - in short, you show them how it feels to be unable to speak. In your fragile emotional state, you could have easily gone overboard. And you would have exacted your revenge on Kira for being the cause of your brother's death by murdering him. Is that a legitimate enough reason to suspect you?"

It all fit too perfectly.

Did Tenn do it on purpose?

And she couldn't defend herself in fear of shining an unwanted spotlight on Tenn. So Malice simply nodded again.

"Good. Now, I would like you to follow me and meet your new coworkers."

The sound of feet shuffling across the carpet echoed through the room, and Tenn removed her ear from the door. She cursed silently as she rounded the corner. _Malice, I never wanted this to happen to you._

-X-

"What are you doing out so late?" A voice reached her from across the hallway.

Hours had passed, and Tenn had been wandering the silent halls of Wammy's House aimlessly. It was long past curfew, and she had nothing much to do other than walk. Going back to her dorm room, and Zag, was not an option. The very sight of her made Tenn want to throw up.

Her voice was smaller than she liked in the vast emptiness of the place. "Nothing," she replied.

The boy, she recognised him as Shadow - ugh, the names people give themselves -, sauntered over to her. He was one of many that she intensely disliked for his 'I'm-better-than-you-and-will-prove-it' attitude, but mostly because he was a bully. And he was a _lot_ stronger than her. Faster, too. And he knew it - he was at least as old as Malice and twice as large. The boy grinned. "Are you sure, whelp? Not planning to flood my dorm room again, are you? Because you know where that will get you."

Tenn shook her head quickly, fear knotting her limbs. "I-I- That was an accident," she lied weakly. Tenn had managed to redirect the pipes from Shadow's ensuite in order to soak all of his belongings after he had broken her nose for passing him in the ranks so quickly. He was somewhere in the hindreds, and Tenn shot up into the thirties shortly after her arrival.

Shadow grabbed Tenn's hair, almost ripping it out of her scalp. She clenched her teeth and tried not to whimper, one hand creeping towards the inner pocket of her hoodie - where the Death Notes and the knife were safely hidden. Well, safe as long as Roger didn't come along and do a check for anything a child shouldn't have at eleven at night. Which was unlikely.

Tenn scrunched up her face in disgust. "Hay Shads, have you ever heard of a shower?" she growled. Her head was jerked to the side painfully, and Tenn felt his fist connect with her back. She gasped, winded, and fell to the tiled floor.

"Have you ever heard of 'respect your superiors'?" he retorted, still grinning. "You think you can beat me just like that? Nasty words like that will only get you into trouble."

Tenn grasped the hilt of the knife and sprang to her feet, holding the blade firmly between them. Shadow froze. "You think hurting me will assert your superiority? Being insecure about your manhood doesn't give you the right to beat up little girls. Things like that will only get you into trouble," she hissed. "Filth like you don't deserve to walk."

And Tenn struck, opening a large, deep gash in his side. He screamed in shock as she dived for his legs and severed the tendons behind his knees. Shadow crumpled to the floor on his useless legs.

What happened next was unexpected for Tenn - a sharp pain licked up the side of her head, and she staggered back dizzily. A fist connected with her temple, and she slumped to the floor in a dead faint.

Shadow, still in shock, managed to drag himself away from Tenn's limp form to get help - and call the police.

-X-

_Tenn opened her eyes slowly, only to find more darkness._

_"Hello, daughter."_

_The girl jumped in surprise and shock - her parents were dead. "What's going on? Am I dead?"_

_The voice chuckled. "No, dear girl. You are merely asleep." His voice turned serious. "But you will be if you continue like this."_

_"Continue like what?"_

_A figure emerged from the darkness. He would have been taller if it weren't for the seemingly-debilitating slouch, and his pitch black hair was all but invisible in the dark. His eyes, however, glowed a brilliant red. He put a thumb to his mouth, examining the girl. "You are bound to get caught if you keep doing what you are doing. You would have been already if it weren't for me."_

_"Ah. I missed the part where you explained who you are and where I am."_

_"So forward. But I would expect no less. You want an explanation, Tenn? I'm afraid it isn't time yet. But you must know that I have power, and I will keep you safe as long as you prove to be useful."_

_"Wait, what do you mean?"_

_"Goodbye, Tenn." And he faded into the darkness again._

_"Wait, come back!" And Tenn was alone once more. She felt cold._

-X-

_[A/N] I am aware that Beyond doesn't actually have red eyes. It was just a dream. Yesh people, here is the 'supernatural' part of the story for you. Enjoy ;)_


	9. Misunderstanding

_The idea of some of this story is for you to put the clues together in order to find out what's going to happen before it's spelled out to you. Yes, Beyond Birthday was Tenn's real father. The other man was like a step-father - merely her mother's partner until he was killed by Kira. Tenn was talking about Beyond when she said her REAL father was murdered by Kira (I realise now that I made it a little confusing at the start... sorry!)._

_I hope that clears up any misunderstandings :) Oh, and how's the chapter title for irony?_

**Chapter 9: Misunderstanding**

Malice was sneaking around the office, after her game that had been confiscated by Rester, and had heard the screams. She knew what Tenn was up to just outside the door.

The girl tried to turn away. She would have left her dark-haired friend to her own devices. It had nothing to do with her; Malice should just leave it alone.

But the moans of pain continued after Tenn had gone quiet. Cries that sound like they were calling for help. For police, for an ambulance. For an orphan or teacher to save him from the pain.

Tenn was in trouble. She could get caught. Sent to a detention centre until she was old enough to be executed. Or maybe killed in the process of being arrested.

A door creaked open in the hall. Footsteps towards Tenn and the other one. There was a sharp gasp, then the boy outside fell silent. Then snapping. The chilled silence was periodically pierced as something... bones, maybe... was completely broken.

That was followed by a sick, grating, riping noise that sent shivers down the redhead's spine.

It was all over very quickly. Cloth slid over tile easily, and then it was gone. All of it.

Malice realised that she hadn't been breathing. The girl inhaled sharply and tried to keep herself from hyperventilating, but it was a wasted effort. Malice was shuddering violently as sobs racked her body. It took longer than she could measure to calm down.

She was sure she would hear those sounds again. In her nightmares. In the tranquil silence of the library. During class, when the only theing to be heard was pens scratching messily on paper. Now, at this very moment, as she was curled up under the desk she had been leafing through to find her game.

Her already-fragile mind would conjure them up from nowhere. Just to taunt her. To tell her that everything is _not_ okay. She couldn't gather the courage to leave the room, in fear of something worse to see behind her eyes. Worse than her brother being shot. Worse than the fresh blood that already dripped down the walls of her mind.

She was unsure as to what she would wake up to in the morning.

-X-

_"Tenn. You are no longer of any use to me. I have found... another. More useful. Less careless."_

_A laugh; small and quiet._

_"Try not to kill anyone while I'm gone."_

_The chuckle grew; became a maniacal sound that could only have come from someone on the last edge of their sanity._

_"Sweet dreams."_

The dark-haired girl woke with a start. _Oh, crap. _She was in an unfamiliar place. Blindingly white. The girl cringed as the light blazed through her closed eyelids. A thick, sterile smell filled her nose, which crinkled of it own accord. _Where the hell am I? Oh, no..._ Ice-cold fear made its way into her chest. She dared not open her eyes.

She noticed a dull throbbing in her right ear, which quickly escalated to a full-scale migrane. She clutched her head and her eyes watered slightly under the force of the onslaught, but it was over as quickly as it had come. The throbbing persisted, however, and Tenn had to wonder what had happened. She itched to open her eyes, but was afraid of what she would see.

"Are you okay, miss?" A voice. Female, friendly and young, with a slight ring to it.

Tenn opened her eyes to see a sterile, white room. Beds lined the sides - about eight of them - and a few curtains were drawn around them. The speaker was a young woman, wearing the long white coat and crest of a nurse. She smiled welcomingly. "You had quite a nasty encounter there," she commented. "You're just lucky to be alive."

"Hmm?" Tenn's voice was tired and dragging. Like she had been asleep for a long time. "What happened back there? And how long have I been out?"

The nurse's face took on a solemn look. "It was the murderer. The Wammy's murderer. He was in and out too quick to be spotted, but he left a right obvious message for us to find. Someone probably saw 'em and he ran off before he could finish with you."

"Message?"

"Don't worry about it now. Word gets around fast, and you needn't know that kind of thing just yet, in your state. Just thank the Lord you're safe and sound... Unlike that other boy." She deposited a tray of food on the bedside table and left without another word.

_So Shadow was killed._

But Tenn had no idea what that meant. Who had killed him, and spared herself? And why?

She couldn't think. So she turned around and propped her legs up on the wall.

A little better. Tenn was able to make small connections in her mind about what was going on.

_Father... that was you, wasn't it? In the dream? Not that bastard I was forced to deal with. I mean, my real father? Beyond... But... you're dead. I saw it on the news._ She thought like Beyond could actually hear her.

He _could_, but that was beside the point.

_Beyond Birthday... murdered three, and almost killed yourself in order to make an unsolvable case for L... Heh. How does it feel, Father, to know that I have killed six - almost seven - and have managed to push the blame onto someone else? And the current L has no idea._ The thought was somewhat comforting. Beyond had been a genius. So Tenn must be better than a supercomputer to have not been caught already.

_Wait..._ A thought hit her, and it _wasn't _a comforting one._ Why __wasn't__ I caught? I should be in a detention centre at the moment. I should be a condemned criminal. Why aren't I? I made enough mistakes. You said you'd protect me..._

Then it hit her.

"You've been using me, haven't you?" Tenn's voice was lower than a whisper. It was oddly saddening to know. "Protecting me. Covering for me..." _Why?_

_"Clever girl. I'm almost proud of you. Almost. Because, you see, it has always been a little dissapointing to cover for you. You make so many mistakes, dear girl, that I have need of someone else. And someone else I have found... But I'm afraid that further explanations will have to come later. For now, rest. Recover. And maybe I will be able to use you again some time."_

Tenn almost fell off the bed.

That wasn't her imagination. She had heard his voice, clear and loud, inside her head.

Ryuk chuckled.

Tenn actually did fall off the bed this time, her balance already having been thrown off. The shinigami hadn't been there a second ago. In a flurry of white sheets, she landed on the cheap tiles with a dull thud. And Ryuk laughed even harder.

"Shurrup," she mumbled, disentangling herself from the blindingly clean fabric.

_"And another thing: Don't talk to the shinigami in public. I've had to erase quite a few memories, douse many suspicions, and it is getting a bit daunting. And please, don't kill anyone while I'm gone. I feel I have to stress that, because I've noticed that you have some aversion to rules. Trust me, you will regret it if you do. B out."_ She could almost see a strange face smiling down at her. Not a nice smile, either; it was mocking and cruel.

Tenn was still frozen. "What... the... hell?"

Ryuk, who was still sitting on the bed beside her, looked like he had something to say. Tenn stared at him, questioning.

The shinigami tilted his head to the side. "You didn't notice?"

"Notice what?"

Then Ryuk laughed some more. The sound was really getting annoying.

"Ryuk, tell me what's going on."

"Fine, fine. You just spoke with a man's voice."

"Eh?"

"What you just said. You sounded like you were talking to yourself, telling yourself off, or someone was talking through you."

"What did I say?"

Ryuk was roaring with laughter, and Tenn knew something strange was going on. The shinigami flew through the roof, leaving Tenn to wonder what he meant. She remembered hearing Beyond's voice in her mind, but there was no way he had spoken through her. She would have felt it. Tenn would have known her lips were moving in sync with the noises in her head...

She sighed heavily, anxious. _Is this what he meant by talking in my sleep?_ she wondered. _But... if I can't remember when he had control over my body... where does that leave me? Maybe... Maybe he was controlling me when I killed Shadow? Did I even kill Shadow? Is there someone else I should be considering? Ugh..._ All that thinking was making her brain hurt.

Tenn finally picked herself up from the floor.

It was warm in the hospital wing; she had no intention of leaving it in favour of the icy-cold hallways. But something tugged at the back of her mind.

"Where's Light...?"

Then she bolted for the door, terror racing through her veins. _He has my Death Note._

-X-

The door creaked open, and an unwelcome light shined into the girl's face. Malice brought her arm over her head and sat up, realising she had fallen asleep in the office. Still curled up under the desk.

Her joints cracked as she stretched out and she yawned tiredly. Then Malice noticed her company. And, what was worse, was that she could see the hallway through the open door.

Near was as emotionless as ever when he called for the police to take the redhead. "Malice, you have disappointed me." He said nothing more, and turned to walk out the door.

Police swarmed in, taking Malice's hands behind her back and hauling to her feet. She could not protest, and silently cursed her leaden tongue. She could not plead her innocence when she didn't have her hands to communicate. _Tenn! Tenn, what's going on?_

Only then did she notice she was covered in blood.


	10. Isolation

_Sorry, I forgot to thank you guys for reviewing last chapter! So here goes. __**Bloom Momoyia**__, __**kirabbit**__, __**Lita Takanashi**__,__** Fluffy Sheep**__, you are beyond awesome! Thanks for keeping the story going :)_

_Wow, this is a long chapter._

**Chapter 10: Isolation**

As she raced through the halls, Tenn noticed that they were strangely empty. A couple of kids were whispering excitedly as they ran towards the front door, but Tenn was less than interested.

The girl hoped fervently that the nurses hadn't found them in her hoodie when she was being treated. Although it was unlikely – there had been no panic in the girl's face, and no policemen in her room. Was it possible that Beyond had, once again, intervened?

She needed to find her Death Notes. If Light managed to get one of them... Tenn was as good as dead. He has probably already written her name down, and all Tenn can do is wait for death. She would probably die of an accident... Run over by a bus, maybe... or she might get murdered and mutilated like she had already done to so many others...

But there was still hope. Maybe Light was otherwise occupied. Maybe both books were still safe and sound in her clothes drawers.

She burst into the room at full speed and flew around her bed, tripping over her own feet. As if any amount of speed would allow the Notes to remain where they were.

But Tenn's stomach dropped as she scanned the scene before her eyes.

Every one of her drawers had been ripped out of the frame, their contents scattered across the floor. One of them had splintered and cracked down the side. Her bed had similarly been stripped of its sheets, and the small amount of personal items she had had been torn out from under it.

Whoever searched her room had found what they were looking for.

The Death Notes were nowhere to be found. Both had been taken. But that didn't stop Tenn from searching through the mess for them. She had to be absolutely sure.

Still nothing.

Tenn sighed in defeat and regret. _Father, you said you'd help me. Why stop now? What did I do wrong?_ Then she fell onto her bed. _Fine. You win, Near. I'm as good as dead anyway..._

But the girl resented the idea of simply giving up and waiting for the end. She couldn't bring herself to stop fighting. It was impossible.

So she refused.

"It's not over yet, Light," she whispered. "It'll take more than a name to get rid of me." So Tenn decided she would beat Light. Simple as that. She was going to win, and nothing would stop her.

Tenn would learn how to kill a shinigami. And Ryuk would help her with that – whether he liked it or not. Then she would reacquire her Death Notes. She would get the Eyes. Near will die forty seconds after. And then there would be no stopping her.

God of the New World?

Pfft.

When she was finished with it, there won't be any world left.

And she would start with Wammy's House.

Beyond was roaring with a demented laughter.

"_I know you're not going to destroy the world, girl. That wouldn't be at all productive. What exactly are you aiming for, then? Becoming the chaotic ruler of a destroyed planet? I don't think so. You're in a bad mood, Tenn. It'll pass. Don't do something you'll regret."_

The strange thing was that he was right. Tenn huffed angrily.

"_Tantrums will get you nowhere. I do like your ambition, though. Maybe you weren't a complete waste of my time, after all."_

"Well, what are you after, then?" Tenn was already quite used to hearing her dead father's voice in her head by now.

"_Like I said-"_

"It's for you to know and me to find out, I know, I know. But I'm not going to do anything for you unless you tell me why. I don't appreciate being used."

"_Stupid girl. Do you really think I care about you?" _A cruel chuckle._ "Do you believe that I won't take over your body and force you to kill people, simply because you tell me not to? I am afraid that you are sadly mistaken. I am not like others; that is how I am able to be here. That is the only way I am able to take over the minds of my offspring without any effect on my conscience. You are a pawn; you shall be used as bait. As a decoy. And when I'm done, you are to be thrown away like the garbage you are. You are nothing to me, Tenaiah. Don't think you can control me."_ Beyond's voice was white-hot and dripping with venom.

Tenn was almost too shocked and hurt to notice the small slip-ups Beyond had made. Almost."Y-you said 'minds'. And you've said that you found someone else to possess. D-does that mean... I have a sibling here? Someone else you're controlling? And that also means... that you can only control your children..."

"_It does. And they are much more cooperative. Their mind was already empty of anything that could get in the way of progress. Although you were quite easy to control – all I had to do was connect your murderous thoughts to actions – and this one finds it hard to kill someone... I've already worked around that. Just feel lucky that I made them spare you as Shadow met his end."_

Tenn only noticed then that she was shaking her head in denial. She had thought at least one of her parents was decent. Her mother had abandoned her. Her step-father had abused her. And now she realised that her real father treated everyone that cared about him like dirt.

The girl wished there were a way out. She despised her heritage. She wanted there to be some way to make it unreal. In the short month she had been at Wammy's, Tenn's only real family had been Malice. And she was unsure if she even had that any more.

And the little girl broke down. She wished she had never found the Death Note. She wanted everything to be normal again. She needed Malice to be with her now.

Beyond sounded agitated. _"You see, Tenn? You even think about killing someone, and your inner self beats you down. That's what a normal person would feel like if they had killed someone. That is what your dear Malice felt like when she found out you were a murderer. I held it back for you before. And if you be a good girl, I shall do so again."_

"I-I did this to Malice?" _Oh god._

"_You should look out for her. She might get into trouble if you keep this up."_ It sounded like an unfinished sentence, but the presence in her mind was gone. Tenn felt empty.

"Wait, what's wrong with Malice? Father, where is she?" A sinking feeling filled her chest, and Tenn raced back out of the room. She could only concentrate on one thing at a time in her state, and at the moment it was Malice. The Death Notes; Light; her unknown sibling. All wiped from her mind in a second.

Tenn saw that the pair of kids were still on their way to the front door, which made her wonder how long exactly she had been in the room.

They looked tense. Tenn ran beside them, keeping up easily with their rushed steps. They stopped whispering.

"What's going on? Where is everyone?" Although Tenn could not consciously comprehend the sad looks they gave her, something in her mind told her to run. To get away while she can.

The boy – someone she had seen around but never bothered to get to know – leaned in. "They've caught the murderer!"

_Run, Tenn! _ Her mind seemed to scream at her. "W-who?"

"Malice." He misinterpreted the look on Tenn's face. "I know! No one knew she had it in her! I mean, she's the top student; a responsible goody-two-shoes. We all thought it was Shadow until he was killed! Who'd've guessed, right?"

But Tenn was already gone.

-X-

Outside, the entire population of Wammy's was gathered.

Roger was beside the head officer, a sad look on his face. He didn't even glance at Malice as she was led to the police van.

The orphans, however, had a different reaction. Some were screaming profanities at her. Others were crying for the ones she had killed. But many more were simply staring; like something impossible had happened. They didn't know what to think.

Malice, however, held her head high in defiance. The dry blood was caked into her clothes and hair, and her tired eyes locked with each and every person in the crowd. She willed them to realise that she was innocent. But, as always, there was nothing but shock and mild horror in their expressions. They would believe anything. Idiots.

Someone else pushed through the crowd, ignoring the protests of whoever was in their way. That person emerged from the masses, a step in front of the circle of witnesses. And she stayed there. Her bright green jumper had been put on hastily over a hospital gown. She was still barefoot. Still the same little murderer she was before.

But something had changed in her eyes. They were no longer shining. They were dead and hollow. Grey as ash, pupils larger than they ought to be, now just useless holes that saw everything and nothing.

Tenn stayed silent as she watched the girl get pushed roughly into the police van.

Malice finally let her head hang and the tears fall. If Tenn would do nothing, then Malice was a condemned criminal as far as anyone was concerned. Nothing she could write would convince them otherwise.

Roger stepped in front of the crowd then, clearing his throat. "I realise the shock you are going through at the capture of the Wammy's Murderer. But I am afraid that I have some bad news. The Board has decided to close down Wammy's House."

He let the news sink in. Then the outbursts came.

"But we live here!" "Where will we go?" "What about Mr. Watari? He built this place!" "Finally someone sees sense!" "We can't exactly go _home_, you know!" "My parents are dead!" "We'll be safer the sooner we're out of this place!"

Roger called their attention back. "I am aware that some of you consider this building home. But this cannot continue." The door to the police van slammed behind him, punctuating the sentence with the finality of justice. "Too much has gone wrong with previous students, and it cannot be allowed to happen again. The world is better off without Wammy's House." He was referring to the incident with A, and Beyond. Another boy, too, called Marko, had ended up killing someone and then himself because of the pressure of living up to L. That was before A and B.

"You are to return to your rooms and pack your belongings. Groups of up to five are able to move to the same place, but we will make allowances. From the orphanage you are going to, you will find a foster family to care for you until you are old enough to move out on your own." A lump rose in the man's throat as the car pulled away. Wammy's had meant so much to him, and he had kept it in perfect order since Watari had passed away. Now it was all going to be taken away.

It had been decided soon after Steph had died. Roger had been making plans for the children since, and Shadow's death had only sped up the process. Malice's persecution was enough to make it final.

Malice listened the brief speech intently, a scowl plastered to her face. She was so preoccupied with the thought of Wammy's closing down – the place she had called home for the majority of her life – that she didn't notice the policeman at the wheel convulse.

He gasped for air and clutched his chest, and the van swerved off course as he gripped the wheel awkwardly.

The next thing Malice knew, glass sprayed over her as the front of the van was crushed by the wrought iron gate of Wammy's. The driver was dead. His partner was dying – gasping for air as his heart constricted. He then slumped forwards, the life leaving his body as his heart gave its final thud.

That's when the attacks began.

Every one of the forensics and policemen fell to the ground, one by one. No one knew what to do. There was fear on every face in the crowd. When the officials were dead, would they be next?

Panic spread like wildfire. Kids ran inside; they ran away from the scene; they ran in circles, confused and terrified. The adults followed suit. There was only one person in the crowd that stayed deathly still.

Tenn knew what this was. But she didn't know how, who, or _why_.

Malice was just as scared as anyone else in Wammy's. She was sure that she would die. But it was then that she made the connection between Kira and Tenn.

_Tenn had Kira's power..._

Malice tried to run, but the handcuffs were too tight and the door crushed shut. She tried to scream. She tried to flee. But it was useless.

Roger was screaming at the children, trying to get them to calm down and exit the orphanage in an orderly fashion.

"Please, children! Make your way out-"

His words died in his throat, and he could not find his breath. Roger's heart stuttered and constricted, then it shut off completely. He fell then, hardly having the time to bring a fist to his chest.

Tenn was still. Her eyes locked with Malice's.

And she smiled.

Malice, however fast her heart was racing, however much her mind told her to flee, knew she was safe.

Kids were screaming. Any that reached the gate died, also. They eventually got the message.

_You're stuck here. No one can enter. No one can leave._

Everyone was still. People were crying. Not a single adult was left in the yard. And Tenn continued to smile. _Someone is on my side, _she thought fervently.

The sun shined mockingly on the scene of the massacre.


	11. Mousetrap

_Up until now, everyone has been dealing with their personal dilemmas on their own. Now that they are stuck with each other, some things that have been festering since the beginning will have to break free..._

_Sorry if that was overly dramatic – this chapter really isn't that good. Sorry for the wait -____- Does a long chapter make up for it? And now for the infamous 'thankyous', because it really needs to be done. __**Kirabbit**__, __**Lita Takanashi**__ and __**Bloom Momomiya**__ – and, now for __**TheEvilMuffinToaster**____and __**Season's Child**__- I have said this many times, but here it is again. Thank you so much for your kind reviews! And sorry for the sudden genre change, but I guess it was to be expected. I can never write a romance without another overshadowing genre. So Paper Spiders is now officially a horror story. And, ironically enough, the change occurs at the first chapter that actually mentions romance._

**Chapter 11: Mousetrap**

"Do not turn around."

The boy gasped as a presence in his room made itself known. He felt the cold blade of a knife at his throat, and heard the deadly threat in the voice. He didn't move a muscle as fear coursed through his veins.

The intruder sounded pleased. "Good boy. Three before you have failed that particular test. Don't expect to see them in class."

The boy, known as Turner at Wammy's, felt sick at the implications that sentence held. He drew in a sharp breath as he felt a trickle of warm liquid fell down his throat. He couldn't be sure that the blood belonged to himself, or someone else.

"Now, I need you to do something for me. Because you know I exist, to refuse means death. As does failure. Do you accept these terms?" He asked like the boy actually had a choice.

Turner nodded stiffly, gripping his desk until his knuckles were white.

"Excellent."

An object was dropped on the desk in front of him. A little black book. There was a smudge of white writing, but Turner couldn't decipher it in the dark. A pale hand reached over and flicked the book open, then dropped a pen into the boy's hand.

"You are going to need to touch the book... Good. Now, do you see the monster?"

Turner almost screamed, but the hand was clapped over his mouth and the knife pressed against his skin alarmingly. The boy fell silent.

"Ask the nice monster if you can have his eyes."

Turner was beginning to think that this stranger was completely insane. But, of course, the knife to his throat was more than enough to make him comply. His voice was shaky and hesitant, barely coming out as a squeak. "C-Can... Can I h-have your eyes?"

"Do not be alarmed when your sight changes."

But of course Turner would be alarmed. The boy thought he was dying when his sight went red. Once again, his screaming was prevented when a hand was held firmly over his mouth.

"Shinigami, your work here is done."

Ryuk looked slightly disappointed. "Aww, you want to get rid of me? That's not very nice... But that won't stop me from watching the rest of the show."

"Good point. It will be amusing, after all," the intruder deadpanned. He removed the blade, freeing Turner at last. "Now I will grant you a sight of my own," he said. His voice was laced with venom.

A small hand mirror was placed on the desk beside the book. For a second it showed a reflection of the intruder, but all that could be discerned in the dark was that it was grinning childishly and had wide eyes that glowed a sickly bright yellow. There were no pupils to be seen. Then the reflection swirled and disappeared entirely, revealing the front yard of Wammy's. It was devoid of people at this point in time.

The intruder placed a sheet of paper in front of Turner. The boy tried to see what was written, but it was too dark and he was too afraid to turn on the light. So Turner just sat there, overwhelmed by what was happening.

"You can read, I assume, else you wouldn't be here. Turn on the lamp and begin writing in exactly four minutes. I will know if you do not comply, I assure you. When you are done, you are to write your own name. If you do not, I will find you." The intruder left the threat open, letting the instructions sink in.

Then he chuckled and his footsteps receded. The door swung shut, and the room was deathly silent.

Turner instantly flicked on the lamp that sat on his desk, illuminating the book; the paper; the mirror. The boy read through the instructions twice, feeling horrible. Worse than horrible. He was going to die, and he was going to take a _lot _of people with him.

_'… make them run to the gate and die … let the others get the message … kill no one when it is over … every adult you can see …copy this into the book … Now it is time for you to choose your own death …'_

Turner swallowed as the image in the mirror changed. A red-haired girl was being led out of the building, surrounded by policemen. They thought she was the murderer. But he knew better. He was sure that the intruder was the true Wammy's murderer, and the girl was being framed. And he knew that if he didn't kill himself when this was over, then he would die a _lot _slower.

The boy had no choice. It was a little comforting to know that he would be taking others to hell with him.

At least he won't be lonely.

-X-

Beyond Birthday was crouching in the middle of nowhere and nothing, surrounded by a solid, impenetrable grey.

Mu. Nothingness. Not really an afterlife, but more a place you go to wait for eternity after you die. He was crouched over in a ball, looking like the weight of the world was crushing him slowly. From the outside, he would have been pitied for looking so alone and defenceless.

But he wasn't. Not by far.

Through someone else's eyes, Beyond saw panicking children. He saw them scream; he saw them flee; he saw them die. And he laughed.

Tenaiah... His daughter, standing in the middle of a rain of bodies. Stuttering hearts and gasping breaths, and the immensely final silence. She was so confused it was almost funny.

But why he even had a daughter amazed him to this day. That woman was nothing to him, extraordinary as she had once been. She was just another faceless nobody in the crowd of the dead now. But before...

Before she had actually been someone. When she was alive. When she was sane. Before _he_ happened.

Beyond Birthday also had a son. But... that boy had broken his beloved beyond any hope of repair. She had been a bright young woman, intelligent and bursting with potential. Beyond had met her soon after he left Wammy's. She had saved him from a life of hopelessness and regret after he had forsaken his only home – the only place that wanted him. But she had helped him.

_He was only sixteen when it happened. And when he found out, he left. He was sure that she cried._

_But Beyond had other things to think about. He had a plan, and nothing – not even the dawn of a new life, a life he had created – would stop him from finally piecing together the puzzle and fulfilling his dream, his obsession. The plan had always been his top priority. It had always been the first thing he saw._

_And seeing that his beloved would die in a matter of months, before the baby could be born, was not something Beyond was willing to stick around to watch._

_Eight years._

_For eight years Beyond had been planning feverishly. Regressing into the darkest recesses of his mind and letting the obsession fester. The need. The need to not only prove that everything Wammy's Orphanage stands for is sick and wrong, but also the need for revenge._

_Beyond was going to bring justice to A's killer._

_L._

_And not in the way that one might think. No, Beyond knew that murdering L Lawliet would not achieve much, for he would always have someone to succeed him. It was the title of L that Beyond was out to destroy. But B knew that there was one way to make L truly suffer – something that would bring shame to the person and the title. He would reopen the wounds on his soul, forcing L to realise again how many deaths he was responsible for in contrast to how many he merely solved. It would be a stain to mar the perfection of being the greatest detective to ever live._

_It had taken eight years for Beyond Birthday to finally snap. And that woman was the catalyst._

_He saw her again._

_Beyond had believed her to be dead – no, he had been certain to the point of betting his life on it. Her life had definitely been only months away from ending when he left eight years ago._

_So he approached her. That was the worst mistake he could have made._

_She was a different person..._

_No, it was more than that. That woman was hardly living at all._

_It would be no use describing her appearance, because it was relatively normal. But the way she spoke, the expression in her eyes, were all too readable. She was broken inside._

_Beyond was almost ready to throw his plans away for her. He would have supported her, he would have loved her. And he did, for a short time. But she could never forgive him for leaving, and Beyond could hardly forgive himself. And, after all those years, seeing him again was only making life harder for the woman, because she had moved on._

_He thought it was his turn to save her. Her life was long – longer than even a healthy person could expect. Supernaturally long. But it was not happy._

_And soon after, Beyond found out that he was only destroying her. Her partner was not the kindest person on earth, but she was scared to leave. Beyond was going to help her out of the situation she was in. But things went awry, and she ended up with another child of his._

_Then she was the one to disappear, and Beyond didn't handle the abandonment very well._

_In the entirety of his life, Beyond Birthday was deprived of one thing that many thrive on. He had never received as much love as he had given, and eventually he had stopped trying. Emotionally closed off to the world at such a young age, the first time he met the woman was such a thrill, such a shock, that he didn't want to see it end._

_But that time she didn't love him back, and, intelligent as he was, Beyond didn't know why._

_He tried to figure out why she had rejected him, and what put her in the state she was in. But he never got the chance. His mind was snapping. Thoughts and feelings that had been suppressed were breaking free, a demon inside him consuming everything good in him._

_Her name was Melody._

_The Los Angeles Beyond Birthday Murder Cases followed the breakdown on swift wings._

_Beyond never found out how she died, or why she gave up both of their children to the horrible place he had come from._

His son was also witnessing the killings in the yard.

Well, not really. Beyond was possessing his body and watching in his stead. He would have to transfer the memories of the event to his host, or things could get complicated. Amusing, yes, if he were to find out suddenly that everyone had died, but not productive.

When Beyond had woken in Mu, he had been subdued for the longest time. But recently the man had been able to open his eyes. He saw everything and everyone, the shinigami realm above and the human world below. These things that he was not supposed to see.

But no one could stop him.

It had something to do with his Eyes. When one has used a Death Note, they have the potential to become a shinigami. But Beyond was a very unique case.

He could not become a shinigami. But he did have the potential to be something else...

Not _human_, exactly... but he could be alive.

Beyond Birthday could live again.

And live he shall.

It all rode on the shoulders of his offspring, and how successful they are in completing the tasks he sets for them. Killing someone is a must. In the realms of death, one that has taken a life has immense power. The same, or a somewhat similar, rule applies in the world of the living. Only in the mind a murderer can Beyond's consciousness manifest. And only in the body of those he shares DNA with can he be reborn.

Therefore, the only way he can live again is to force his children to commit murder... then take their lives himself. It would take an immense amount of power, but it was possible. Beyond would make sure of that.

His son and his daughter were standing in the middle of a massacre, one of them completely unaware of his existence, and both of them completely free of suspicion.

Well, almost completely.

There was still dear Malice to deal with.

He had a plan forming. Beyond needed precision and timing, because if she were suddenly dead the blame for the murders would fall to those he cannot control easily; the strangers that have nothing to do with anything. With Malice being the 'murderer', he was able to continue manipulating her through Tenn...

The maniac laughed as the orphans in the yard knelt over the corpses of their friends and sobbed.

-X-

A sombre mood blanketed Wammy's like a heavy fog. It didn't take long for everyone to drift inside and take to their rooms for some solitude from this dark day. But hours later, when everyone steadily realised that nothing was going to change, they began to gather in more public rooms. The library was a popular destination for the quieter, more serious students that wished to fix this. The lunch room was open for the more confused of the bunch, where they had broken into the food stores and had nothing to do but eat. And the game room seemed to be for the kids that simply didn't care. They would follow whatever was going.

But they all had something in common.

They were waiting for something. None of them was able to voice what their subconscious was screaming at them, but they all knew that they were waiting.

-X-

"_How much do you care about Malice?"_

"Shut up."

"_I asked you a question, Tenaiah, and I expect it to be answered."_

Tenn just shook her head, crushing her ears with her fists. She needed to think.

She was in her old room, being one of the few that elected to stay alone, hanging out the second-storey window. Again. Only this time, she had a most pleasing scene in front of her and a beautifully patterned carpet behind. The blood from Steph's wounds had not only pooled and splattered nicely, but that wasn't all. This room had been closed off because the bloodstains were impossible to get rid of, defiantly glaring at whoever dared enter.

And in front of her? Dead children littered the grass, their living friends casting long shadows as the sun slowly rises higher in the sky. Beautiful blue, with wispy clouds overhead. Thicker ones block out the horizon icily, promising snow.

Normally the little girl would be joyous at the thought of snow, but right now her mind was on other, more important matters. Like where her Death Notes were. Ryuk and Light were nowhere to be seen. It put Tenn on edge, knowing she was defenceless against the supernatural power of the shinigami and the Notes.

The fact that she wasn't dead yet brought her little comfort. Light could be delaying. Waiting until the time is right. But... The time _was _right a few minutes ago. No one would have been the wiser if she had died along with the others. It would have been the perfect cover to be rid of his... his _keeper._

Her father's voice intruded upon her thoughts once more, sending a cold shiver down her spine. _"If you care at all, you will stop her from doing what she is about to do."_

Ice crept into her veins almost painfully.

"_She's figured it out, Tenn. Now she wants to know how."_

The ice spread like wildfire. _She knows I could kill with a heart attack...?_

"_She knows where the Notes are. Light will kill her if she gets too close," _he cackled.

Tenn was out the door in an instant, but paused in the hall. "Where are they?" she hissed frantically. "Where are the Notes?"

There was more cackling in the back of her mind, and Tenn ran. Her feet carried her tho the lunch room.

People were murmuring to one another, a low hum of voices. Some were louder than others, but none were discernible.

One A few people hissed loudly, and the voices died. One person spoke loudly, but Tenn didn't listen. There were a few whispers. The atmosphere was tense.

Tenn turned around.

Malice was leaning on the doorframe, arms folded. Dry blood still stained her clothes, her hair was plastered to her face with the stuff. Her face was blank, all expression wiped from her features. Everything except her eyes.

Those wide, green orbs of hers were shining. She stared everyone down, and they all seemed to mentally back off. Complete silence.

It was like she was a different person. Like... all the life had been drained from her?

No. That wasn't it at all.

Her _old_ life had been drained. She... It was like she had a new one poured into her. A new life...

What happened to her?

Where was the shying teenager? The mindful technology freak? Where was the old Malice?

The only sound in the room was the receding echo of the older girl's footsteps. Tenn hardly noticed that she had left, she was still frozen to the floor.

The murmurs begun again, and it was evident that everyone was trying to ignore Tenn. But there were stares on her back, boring holes into her mind.

The noise snapped her out of the trance she had been in, and with a jolt, her feet hit the floor.

Tenn raced after Malice. She knew where she was going; to the only place she _could _go after such an incident.

It was also the place the Death Notes were. Where her death waited.

In the back of her mind, Tenn told herself that it was just Beyond downloading information into her brain. But she shut out her voice of reason and continued to think that she was just awesomely instinctual.

Tenn heard the doors open in front of her. She skidded around the corner, only to see that Malice was already walking into Roger's office.

Light's blood red eyes shone as she walked straight through him.

He grinned a shark's grin at Tenn, then turned around to follow Malice into the room.

Tenn crashed into the doors as they were closing and threw them open. Malice didn't even turn around to look at her. The younger girl's breath caught in her throat as emotion swept over her. There was fear, for sure, and confusion. Relief, too. Anger. Wariness. But mostly shock.

Both Ryuk and Light were in the back of the room, Light grinning for a reason Tenn could not comprehend, and Ryuk twisted into his signature apple-withdrawal pose.

And the albino kid, the one that was at the investigation for her murder of Steph and who was most definitely working under L himself, was sitting in the middle of the room. Two books were open in front of him.

Two Death Notes.

He glanced up at the girls that had just entered the room. His eyes met briefly with Malice's, and he muttered a few words so quietly that Tenn had to strain to hear them. "Thankyou for participating, Malice. I appreciate your coming here."

Malice stepped back at this, obviously in shock at the words. Neither she or Tenn had any idea of what was going on.

Then Tenn's stony glare met his unnerving one, and his mouth twitched into a knowing, and somewhat creepy smile.

_And the trap snaps shut._

-X-

_Guess what? There's actually going to be dialogue in the next chapter! And I promise it won't take as long as this one did – I was really not in a 'writing' mood. Yes, that is my excuse. I didn't feel like it. Deal with it, because I am going to rule you all with an iron fist someday in the not-too-distant future..._


	12. Not A Chapter, Really

**Chapter 12: Not A Chapter**

**Hello again, dearest readers! It's been what, six months? Well, I am afraid to say that until I get around to rewriting the first... every chapter, really, then this story is officially discontinued. I really did like the plot I had planned out, but after rereading what I have done so far... I think the only really worthwhile thing to read in this story is the plot in general. I executed it all wrong, however, and if one were to read from the start then Tenn is definitely acting Mary-Sue-ish. ('dark-haired, stoic girl-child that acts too old for her age, and is related to a character...?) Malice, too, what with her mute-ness and mental breakdowns. If I rewrite this, however, the disability is not going to change – I still rather like it, because it gives her a reason to have a nice, sympathetic nature. The breakdowns, though... Well, either way, she'll be on some kind of medication, at least. Why did no one point these facts out to me before! Sheesh, this kind of writing makes me look like a moron. I mean, it's not as bad as some things you find on this site, but it's definitely got a long way to go for it to be anywhere near 'good'.**

**I thank you for your time, if you ever get around to reading this little note, and do hope that if I end up rewriting it then you will help me see it through? I can only hope that it won't suck so bad next time. And please, if you have found any more problems that I have not addressed, then leave some constructive criticism before I rewrite. I really am aiming to better this fic!**


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